Friday, October 29, 2010

KACC tightens noose around 4 ministers

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 – The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) says it’s now investigating at least four Cabinet Ministers and 45 senior government officials suspected of corruption.

KACC Director Patrick Lumumba told the media on Friday that they are closing in on the senior officials and they would soon face the full force of the law.

“We are investigating very senior public officials whose names we can’t disclose at this stage, but in the fullness of time we will,” Dr Lumumba said. “We are investigating not less than four Cabinet Ministers and no less 45 senior heads of parastatals.”

He said his officers are now burning the midnight oil to see those culpable face court action.

Dr Lumumba said his office was confident that once they conclude the investigations and hand over their recommendations to the Attorney General, the officers involved would be arraigned in court.

“We are making good progress and one of the areas we are focusing on is the issue of the resettlement of the internally displaced persons. We have confidence that the AG will not ignore our recommendation. We believe the AG will act on the results of our probe,” he said.

The move comes barely two days after Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula and his Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi were forced to quit their offices following a probe in Parliament by the Department Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations into the procurement and sale of Kenyan embassies in Japan, Nigeria, Belgium and Pakistan.

KACC has already sought assistance from the United States, Swiss authorities and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, for the repatriation of billions of shillings stashed abroad.

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