Propaganda? DCI Fails To Name DP Ruto, Annex Office In Echesa Fraud Case Despite Much-Publicized "Investigations"

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is under heavy criticism for dragging the name of Deputy President William Ruto in the arrest of former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa over fraud dealings.

Echesa was apprehended yesterday by detectives from the Special Service Unit (SSU) in Nairobi alongside, Daniel Otieno Omondi, Kennedy Oyoo Mboya and Clifford Okoth.

The department led by George Kinoti is accused of sharing information with the mainstream media that Echesa used the Office of the Deputy President to cut a Ksh39 billion deal on military equipment with foreigners.

The DCI, however, failed to mention the DP’s name or office in court documents tabled before Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) magistrate court today.

In affidavits sworn by investigating officer John Munjama, Echesa and others who were not in court are accused of drafting fake documents and purporting that they were from the Ministry of Defence and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Read: Rashid Echesa To Remain In Custody Until Monday

The officer says, the documents, which include, End User Certificate, Non-Disclosure Agreement, letters of award, extension notification of award letters were drafted on diverse dates between October 2, 2019 and February 13, 2020.

The officer said that the suspects used the documents to prepare a contract between the Ministry of Defence and Eco Advanced Technologies, a firm belonging to Kozlowski Stanley Bruno, an American citizen, with an intention to obtain money by false pretence.

The investigating officer told the court that the documents were found in two cars belonging to the suspects.

Contrary to publicized media reports that the meeting took place at the DP’s Annex office, there is no mention of Ruto’s name or office in the affidavit.

The media had quoted DCI that Echesa had duped the foreigners that the documents would be signed in the DP’s presence ripping them off Ksh11.5 million.

Media reports also indicated that investigators were baffled after they found the fictitious tender document in both the Office of the Deputy President and Echesa’s car.

The document, according to the reports, bore the signature of Defence Cabinet Secretary Amb. Monica Juma among other senior ministry officials.

With today’s developments in court and what the investigators had shared with the media, the DCI has been left with an egg on the face as the department is accused of being used to wage political war on the DP.

Echesa had on Thursday told the media moments after his arrest that he is being targeted politically for refusing to toe the line.

He denied fraud charges today and will spend the weekend in custody until Monday 6pm as the court allowed the prosecution to conclude investigations before he is released on Ksh1 million cash bail.

The prosecution had sought a court order to have Echesa held for 21 days as detectives travel to the US to check the documents’ authenticity.

His lawyer Evans Ondiek told the court that the said documents were not found in his client’s car, as alleged by the DCI.