The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has disclosed that government officials arrested during the crackdown at Mudavadi's office were involved in an attempt to defraud Ksh5.8 million from investors as part of an initial fraud scheme.
The ODPP confirmed the arrest of senior government officials from the Ministry of the Prime Cabinet Secretary in connection with a fraudulent tender deal that went awry. Among those implicated in the fraudulent activities is Salim Swaleh, the Director of Press Services at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
In a statement released on Monday, the ODPP outlined that the suspects had planned to deceive foreign investors into paying a total of Ksh5.8 million as a registration fee to secure the tender.
"According to the investigations reports the respondents were to part with Ksh.5,850,000 as registration fee before securing the tender."
The alleged fraudsters employed cunning tactics to persuade certain foreign investors in Kenya to secure a contract for building two stadiums for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games.
Salim Swaleh and five others have been arrested for their suspected involvement in fraudulent activities and are currently held at Capitol Hill Police Station pending a ruling on a request for a two-week detention to allow further investigations.
The prosecution has applied to detain the five suspects temporarily, arguing the need to expedite investigations into charges including conspiracy to commit a felony. The court was informed that the suspects had purported to offer a contract to construct two stadiums for the upcoming AFCON 2027, a tournament jointly awarded to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, also intends to investigate allegations of attempted obtaining of money by false pretences, impersonation of public servants, and abuse of office.
According to Mudavadi's office, the detained officials were reportedly proficient in their illicit activities, which allegedly included swapping nametags on office doors to deceive unsuspecting victims.
The arrests followed a tip-off that alerted security agencies at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary - Ministry of Foreign and Domestic Affairs (OPCS-MFDA), prompting intensive surveillance at the Railways Office to thwart reported incidents of impersonation and misuse by the fraudsters.
The court is scheduled to issue a ruling on Tuesday regarding whether bail will be granted to the suspects.
