Economy

Tobiko blames EACC for stalled Chickengate case

waqo

EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo. PHOTO | FILE

Delays by the anti-graft agency to hand over files from the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have stalled pursuit of the Chickengate bribery case, Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has said.

Mr Tobiko said he is yet to receive a response from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), nearly three months after demanding the agency supplies his office with documents received from UK authorities.

Mr Tobiko wrote to the EACC on September 5, asking for files that were used to jail the Britons who bribed Kenyan election and examination officials “to enable him make a final determination of the matter”.

“EACC has confirmed that they are finalising the issues the DPP had tasked them to address and will be forwarding the file to him shortly for appropriate action,” Mr Tobiko said in response to the Business Daily queries.

READ: Tobiko blames EACC for slow pursuit of Chickengate suspects

ALSO READ: UK loses bid to decide use of Chickengate scam cash

The EACC in July recommended charging of former CEO James Oswago and three other junior electoral officials but exonerated top officials mentioned in a London court as having pocketed Sh52 million in hefty bribes codenamed ‘chicken.’

The anti-graft agency effectively cleared top bosses mentioned in the London court including Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Issack Hassan, sacked Energy secretary Davis Chirchir, Kennedy Nyaundi (both ex-commissioners), and former Judiciary registrar Gladys Boss Shollei (ex-deputy CEO).

EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo declined to give timelines on when the requested files would be forwarded to the public prosecutor.

He also declined to explain what was causing the delays in handing in the necessary files.

The SFO delivered the “Chickengate” dossier to Attorney-General Githu Muigai in January and the State Law Office later submitted the files to the anti-graft agency.

London’s Southwark Crown Court in February 2015 sentenced two directors of Smith & Ouzman Ltd to jail and in January seized the assets of the printing firm convicted of bribing IEBC and Knec officials.

Interestingly, EACC deputy CEO Michael Mubea on July 25, told a joint select House committee of on electoral reforms that he had forwarded documents from SFO to Mr Tobiko’s office; and thus the same materials could not be handed to MPs.