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Raila tells EACC to ‘forget it’ over summons

Odinga through his lawyer Mwangi had turned down an invitation to the commission for Thursday morning to shed light on allegations he's made/FILE

Odinga through his lawyer Mwangi had turned down an invitation to the commission for Thursday morning to shed light on allegations he’s made/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 11 – CORD leader Raila Odinga has vowed to defy summons to appear before detectives at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Monday over the Eurobond saga.

Through a statement from his party spokesman Dennis Onyango, Odinga who was served Thursday evening with the order, indicated that he will not honour the summons because he is a witness and not a suspect.

He accused the EACC of resorting to intimidation, instead of carrying out independent investigations aimed at unravelling the truth while protesting the manner in which the police summons were delivered.

“Opposition leader Hon Raila Odinga this afternoon received in his offices four officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission who had come to summon him to record a statement at the commission’s headquarters over Euro Bond loan.

He told the officers that he will not appear at the Integrity Centre, he will not be compelled and he will not be intimidated,” the statement said.

There was drama at his Upper Hill office when a team of EACC detectives blocked the gates to ensure he does not leave after he refused to be served.

“Mr Odinga met the four officers in the presence of his lawyers Paul Mwangi, James Orengo, Moses Wetangula and T.J Kajwang.”

The lawyers took issue with the “contemptuous and threatening” tone of the letter. He took issue with the legitimacy of the commission as currently constituted, without commissioners,” It further stated.

EACC Chief Executive Halakhe Waqo warned that Odinga will be prosecuted if he defies the summons.

The order makes it clear that Odinga has no choice but to appear before the commission in person.

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In a press release, Waqo said the decision to appear before the commission was not discretionary but mandatory.

Odinga through his lawyer Mwangi had turned down an invitation to the commission for Thursday morning to shed light on allegations he’s made to the effect that the management of the funds raised through the Eurobond floated in June and December of 2014, was not above board.

READ: EACC summons Raila to explain Eurobond claims

On December 2, the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko tasked the EACC and Directorate of Criminal Investigations with sorting through the truths, half-truths and lies told about the Eurobond.

READ: Tobiko demands Eurobond probe file in 10 days

On Wednesday, Members of Parliament allied to the Jubilee coalition sought to turn the tables on Odinga who has over the past few weeks caused a furore over the management of the funds raised through the Eurobond.

The MPs who have time and again denied that there were any underhand dealings in the management of the Eurobond funds, attributed Odinga’s anger to greed.

They said he was simply angered by the Jubilee administration’s failure to finance projects from which he’d planned on earning a “commission.”

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