Deputy President William Ruto’s office has distanced itself from the infamous Sh39 billion fake arms deal.
DP Ruto in a tweet indicated that the meeting, held at his office by former Sports CS Rashid Echesa and three others took approximately 23 minutes.
A report by a local daily showed that the accused persons made their way into the Harambee Annex office without being screened as is norm in most public places.
The meeting, the daily said was held on the second floor, right next to Ruto’s office.
Read: Ex-CS Rashid Echesa Arraigned Over Sh39 Billion Fake Gov’t Firearms Deal
Ruto’s office has however denied these claims. Apparently, the accused persons and the Polish businessmen only accessed the waiting area for a short amount of time. This was between 9.39.05 am and 10.02 am, Thursday 13 February.
In a statement circulating online signed by David Mugonyi, secretary communication in the DP’s office, the men claimed to have had an appointment with the deputy president who was on the material day working from his Karen office.
Aides at the Annex office checked Ruto’s diary, confirming that there was no appointment with Echesa and the foreigners.
Mr Mugonyi also clarified that once the businessmen were informed of Ruto’s whereabouts, they left the premises.
So a contract of Department of Defense worth Kshs 39B was drafted and signed in a waiting room without any lawyer and without any witness by a person purporting to be PA of DP with 2 polish nationals and the 2 foreigners have not been arrested ? Maajabu haya @ahmednasirlaw pic.twitter.com/lMwT1VGneq
— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) February 17, 2020
He also notes that Echesa and the businessmen did not at any time meet DP’s PA Farouk Kibet, Private secretary Reuben Maiyo and his chief of staff Ken Osinde, as earlier reported.
In regards to reports that DCI detectives grilled staff members at the Annex office, Mr Mugonyi says that only security personnel on duty on Thursday were questioned. He also opines that the detectives had access to CCTV footage from the said day.
The DP, Mugonyi said, wants the matter investigated expeditiously “devoid of media and political propaganda.”
Also roped into the scam was the Ministry of defense which has distanced itself from the multi-billion shilling deal.
Echesa and the co-accused persons; Daniel Otieno Omondi, Kennedy Oyoo Mboya, and Clifford Okoth have since been charged with 12 counts of fraud.
They have been released on a Sh1 million cash bail each.
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