Ex-Treasury Rotich faults DPP for Arror, Kimwarer dams scandal case delay
Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has faulted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji for Arror, Kimwarer dams scandal case delay.
This is after Haji, through State Counsel Taib Ali Taib, asked the court for more time to review charges in the dams scandal case.
Through his lawyer, Katwa Kigen, Rotich opposed the request by Haji to be given more time accusing the State of delaying the matter, which was filed in court in 2018.
“The court should fix the matter for hearing and if there are any amendments to be made by the prosecution, the same should be done before the hearing date,” urged Kigen.
DPP told the court that the prosecution has received at least five applications from accused persons seeking review of their charges.
The five, in the file that was handled today morning, include Esther Jepchirchir, Isaac Kiiru, Geoffrey Mwangi, David Walunya and Boniface Mamboleo.
Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Felix Kombo gave the prosecution until September 29, 2021, to come up with a proper decision on whom to prosecute and drop from the case.
Rotich was in May charged afresh over the multi-billion shillings Arror and Kimwarer dams graft scandal.
Rotich with four others were charged with conspiracy to defraud, wilful failure to comply with procurement laws, engaging in a project without prior planning, abuse of office and committing an offence of financial misconduct.
The fresh charges came after the prosecution amended the charge sheet and removed the names of former Principal Secretaries Kamau Thugge and Susan Koech who had been charged alongside Rotich.
“Evidence in the case remains the same and no new documents or witnesses shall be adduced during the case,” stated the prosecution.
Thugge and Koech will now be a key prosecution witness in the case to testify against his Rotich.
The DPP also removed the names of 20 Italians who will also be charged afresh separately as they are still at large.
According to the charge sheet, Rotich and his co-accused jointly conspired to defraud the Government of Kenya off Sh.54 billion (USD 501,829,769.43) by entering into the construction and development of Arror multi-purpose dam and Kimwarer multi-purpose dam , a project they knew was not approved.
