MPs Call DPP to Investigate Colleagues

Parliamentarians on Tuesday called in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to investigate their colleagues over the sugar scandal.

The recommendation was made in a report tabled by the Powers and Privileges Committee which was probing the sugar report bribery claims.

In the report, the legislators found that some of their colleagues in Parliament engaged in impropriety.

As such, the MP wants the DPP and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to move in and investigate the matter.

There was outrage in August after allegations that MPs had been paid to shoot down a report on contaminated sugar that cost Kenyans Kshs10 billion in lost taxes.

Besides, the sugar exposed consumers to health hazards while suffering a big blow to thousands of farmers who eke out a living through cane farming.

Parliament rejected the report prepared by a joint committee ostensibly on the grounds that the team ignored its terms of reference and did not take into consideration witness statements.

Media reports had alleged that millions of shillings changed hands as shadowy figures sought to influence the debate so that some top government officials implicated by the report could be let off the hook.

The committee had investigated the circumstances under which the government allowed uncontrolled importation of sugar in 2017 during a duty-free window opened by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.

Some of the sugar was said to have been toxic with suspected mercury contamination hence unfit for human consumption as it was not fully processed.

The August report had recommended that three Cabinet Secretaries should take responsibility for flooding the market with the contraband, duty-free sugar.

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