NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 27 – Police headquarters has defended former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali over accusations he frustrated a former police officer during an investigation into a major drugs trafficking case.
The department\’s spokesman Eric Kiraithe said on Saturday that the alleged consignment contained rice, sugar and others goods evading tax, and was referred to the Kenya Revenue Authority to deal with.
He dismissed claims by former police officer Jarsa Godana that he was dismissed from the force after he pushed for the investigations into the purported consignment.
"We wish to inform the public that so far, Kenya Police has not received any evidence connecting the former Commissioner of Police or any other police with drug trafficking," said Mr Kiraithe.
He said there is no evidence to prove Major General Ali and the Commandant of Kenya Police College Peter Kavila colluded with drug barons as alleged.
"The Commissioner of Police has noted an attempt from some quarters to use this grave matter as a vendetta against some serving and retired police officers and especially Gen Hussein Ali and the Commandant Kenya Police College Mr Peter Kavila," added the spokesman.
Last week, Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara tabled documents in Parliament given to him by Mr Godana alleging that the two senior police officers had frustrated his efforts to investigate the matter.
Mr Kiraithe went further to say that Mr Godana was not the investigating officer as alleged but part of a team that had been appointed in late 2004 and early 2005 by the Commissioner of Police in conjunction with KRA and other agencies to carry out an extensive investigation into drug trafficking.
"Mr Godana had been detailed to familiarize the team with the movement of goods from the port to other destinations because of his previous experience as the OC transit goods. Once he played his part he was released to report back to his station in Kisumu," said the spokesman.
Mr Imanyara had further alleged that Godana\’s life was in danger, but the police spokesman says this was a fabrication. He said preliminary findings indicated that Mr Godana has not been in hiding because after his dismissal, he settled in Kisumu "where he has been running a hotel business."
"Investigators have found evidence that he frequently entertains his former colleagues in the hotel. We have also received credible information that in 2007, Mr Jarso Godana tried his hand in politics and contested the Isiolo North Constituency." He said.
Mr Kiraithe said the police take the issue of drugs seriously and is currently investigating trafficking at the port of Mombasa.
"The focus of these new investigations is big fish because we must deal with this problem from its roots. The team that has been detailed now will not deal with the peddlers. These will be dealt with by the police stations."
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