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Investigators in Rio Olympics corruption case draw court's ire

HAJI

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A court has directed Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to investigate the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for failing to implement its orders relating to the Sh21.7 million Rio Olympics graft case against former Sports Cabinet secretary Hassan Wario and five others.

Anti-Corruption Court chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti blamed the office of the DCI for failing to supply evidence to Mr Wario, a former principal secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Richard Ekai, Harun Komen Chebet, Stephen Kiptanui arap Soi, Patrick Kimanthi Nkabu and Francis Kinyili Paul.

The magistrate directed the DPP to file a report by February 6, 2019, noting the matter had been adjourned several times due to lack of witness statements.

Defence lawyers Cecil Miller and Kanyi Gakuya asked the magistrate to punish the DCI for failure to share exhibits and witness statements with the accused.

“We have not been supplied with witness statements despite concerted efforts to get them from the DCI’s office,” Mr Miller told the court.

He opposed the prosecution's plea for adjournment for 21 days to enable them furnish the accused with witness statements.

Mr Miller said some of the accused had been frozen from employment due to the graft suit.

Mr Ekai, for instance, had been appointed Kenya’s Ambassador to Russia and could not take up the post due to the case.

In his ruling Mr Ogoti said it was clear investigators were playing games in the case.

“Games are being played in this case, therefore I direct the DPP to probe why the accused have not been furnished with statements,” Mr Ogoti said.

He ordered the DCI to take action against investigating officers found culpable.

Mr Wario, appointed Kenya’s Ambassador to Austria last year, was charged with six counts of abuse of office.

The charges include irregular payment of allowances, including unwanted persons in the Kenyan delegation in Rio and purchase of air tickets for unauthorised persons, leading to misappropriation of Sh55 million.