The Director of criminal investigations George Kinoti has stated that he will not subscribe to the inter-agency guidelines issued last month as the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) Noordin Haji intends to use them to seize police powers.
The DCI boss further claims that he was excluded while the rules and procedures for handling criminal cases related to terrorism were being developed, in response to a petition filed in court by activist Memba Ocharo questioning the validity of the guidelines.
Kinoti dissociated himself from the document, alleging that it was only through Haji’s press release that he learned about its validation and social media rollout.
Last month, the DPP stated the rules, dubbed “cooperation and collaboration in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism financing,” were intended to improve accountability and efficiency in dealing with terrorism-related matters.
However, Kinoti argues that the lawyers linked to his office were not involved in the full creation, evaluation, and validation of the guidelines through senior superintendent of police Martin Otieno.
“The DCI’s and anti-terror police unit’s final invitation was merely a formality to ratify the saide guidelines without an all-inclusive stakeholders’ participation and consultation,” Otieno said the Millimani court.
Kinoti further maintains that the regulations are a mistaken attempt by the DPP to “indirectly micromanage autonomous constitutional offices inside the criminal justice system” by controlling and supervising the work of the National Police Service, the DCI, and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.