A senior government official has been arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations of forging an official document linked to the Ministry of Roads and Transport.
The suspect, who serves as a Principal Engineer at the Ministry of Housing, was apprehended on Tuesday, November 25, in Athi River, Machakos County.
According to the DCI, the arrest follows weeks of investigations triggered by a complaint from the State Department of Transport.
The department had raised an alarm over a suspicious letter purportedly authorising an extension of service for a senior aviation investigator.
“Detectives based at the Serious Crime Unit have arrested a suspect in connection with forgery of a letter from the State Department of Transport.” The DCI noted that the document was allegedly crafted to misrepresent an official communication regarding employment terms.
The forged letter, dated May 6, 2024, was presented as a “Renewal of Local Agreement Terms” for a flight captain at the ministry, purportedly granted him a three-year extension as Director of Aircraft Accident Investigation.
This prompted the State Department to flag the document and forward it to the DCI for detailed authentication.
Detectives acting on the probe disclosed that forensic experts immediately detected anomalies in the signature and formatting.
“Document forensic examination experts established that the letter was indeed a forged document and confiscated it as evidence,” the DCI added.
After analysing digital and physical traces, investigators linked the document to the Principal Engineer with the detectives on the case, indicating that the evidence trail left little doubt about his involvement in facilitating the forged communication.
Following his arrest, he was processed at the Serious Crime Unit and is expected to be arraigned in court later today, Wednesday, November 26.
Detectives believe the forgery may have been intended to influence personnel decisions within the aviation accident investigation docket.
At the same time, the DCI has launched a manhunt for the captain, who remains at large, and is wanted to answer to the charges of forgery of an official document and clarify his role in the syndicate.
