Trouble is brewing for the former DCI boss George Kinoti after it emerged that he is responsible for fabricating charges against DP Rigathi Gachagua on the Kshs 7.3 billion graft case.
In a four-page affidavit to the court supporting the withdrawal of the charges against Gachagua, senior police and head of the serious crimes section at DCI, Kuria Obadiah, said that Kinoti forced detectives to arrest and charge Gachagua in July last year over financial related crimes.
At the time, investigations against Gachagua, who was then Mathira MP, had not been concluded and there was no evidence to support what he was being accused of.
Obadiah was in charge of the team that was formed to go after Gachagua, following his fall out with the immediate former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
The detective further said that Kinoti gave them a fixed timeline to come up with findings on Gachagua’s “fabricated case”
“On April 15, 2020, DCI received a letter from the Financial Reporting Center making allegations of criminal conduct against the accused person imputing embezzlement of funds from the National Irrigation Board and other entities,” Obadiah said in the affidavit
He added that the report was transferred to his department with instructions to clearly carry out investigations including recording statements, searches, filing affidavits in court for orders to access the accused bank accounts, a local daily reported.
The officer further said that the timelines they were given made it difficult for them to carry out proper and thorough investigations into the matter.
“While Investigations were still in progress, Kinoti directed us to make recommendations that will enable Gachagua to face charges,” Obadiah said.
Gachagua was then accused of fraud, money laundering, abuse of office and conflict of interest. Investigators however abandoned the case immediately after Gachagua was arraigned in court and the case never proceeded to trial.
Directions on the withdrawal of the case will be issued on November 21, 2022.
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