Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Kenya

Top detectives, EACC meet ahead of IEBC probe

This follows a directive by Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, which tasked the two enforcement agencies to determine whether electoral or criminal offences were committed by the electoral commission officials/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 25 – A meeting between top detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and EACC was ongoing Monday, to plan on how they will probe Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials accused of bungling the August 8 election.

This follows a directive by Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, which tasked the two enforcement agencies to determine whether electoral or criminal offences were committed by the electoral commission officials.

Investigators from the two bodies will also seek to establish whether there were corruption and economic crimes committed and consequently recommend charges.

The team from EACC and the DCI will be assisted by senior prosecutors, according to DPP Keriako Tobiko.

This comes as the Opposition planned to kick off anti-IEBC demonstrations Tuesday calling for the removal of top officials at the electoral body, whom they say cannot be trusted to undertake the fresh presidential election.

Those to be investigated include IEBC Chief Executive Ezra Chiloba, Betty Nyabuto, Immaculate Kassait, James Muhati, Praxedes Tororey, Moses Kipkogey, Abdi Guliye, Moluboya, Marjan Hussein Marjan, Paul Mugo and Bonface Wamae.

Tobiko’s move follows the verdict of the Supreme Court which nullified the presidential election on grounds of massive irregularities and illegalities.

“Undertake thorough, comprehensive and expeditious investigations into the irregularities and illegalities found by the Supreme Court to have been committed by the IEBC in relation to the presidential election with a view of establishing whether electoral and/or other criminal offences including corruption or economic crimes may have been committed by the officials or any of them and those who may have aided, abetted, counselled or procured the commission of any such crimes,” Tobiko wrote in a letter addressed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chiefs Ndegwa Muhoro and Halakhe Waqo respectively.

Also to be investigated are NASA leaders Musalia Mudavadi and James Orengo – on accusations of alleged possession of unauthorized information obtained from confidential sources at IEBC during the tallying of results.

Tobiko wants the investigations conducted within 21 days and the file sent to him for perusal and ‘appropriate directions.’

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Kenya is scheduled to hold a fresh presidential election on October 26 as ordered by the apex court that ruled that the previous election held on August 8 was null and void.

While President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he is ready for the election, his challenger Raila Odinga has insisted on the need for reforms at the electoral commission – including resignations or sacking of some of the officials now under probe, arguing that they are bound to repeat the same mistakes that led to the cancellation of the presidential results.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News