According to a senior police officer, detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were forced to charge deputy president Rigathi Gachagua in the Sh7.3 billion corruption case.
It has also been revealed that the investigations were not completed when Mr Gachagua was arrested and arraigned in court on July 26, 2021, and there was no documentary evidence to support the alleged offenses.
According to an explosive affidavit sworn by Superintendent of Police Kuriah Obadiah, who works at the DCI headquarters, officers were pushed to arrest and charge Mr Gachagua with financial crimes.
Mr Obadiah, the head of the Serious Crimes Section, led the investigation team formed to pursue the politician who had a falling out with the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The officer stated that he was heavily pressured by the former DCI director, Mr George Kinoti, to make recommendations that would land Mr Gachagua in jail, and that he was given strict and fixed timelines to come up with findings.
“On April 15, 2020, the DCI received a letter from the Financial Reporting Centre alleging criminal conduct against the accused persons and imputing embezzlement of funds from the National Irrigation Board and other entities,” Mr Obadiah writes in his four-page affidavit in support of the case’s withdrawal.
According to him, the report was forwarded to his section at DCI with clear instructions to conduct investigations as soon as possible, including the recording of statements, searches, and filing of affidavits in court for orders to access the accused persons’ bank accounts, among other things.
He continues, “While the investigations were still ongoing, Mr Kinoti directed us to make recommendations that would allow the accused persons to face charges.”
The detectives dropped their investigations after being charged in court.
They alleged six counts of fraud, money laundering, abuse of office, and conflict of interest. Witness testimony was never heard during the trial.
The case is scheduled to be heard on November 21, 2022, for withdrawal instructions.
