Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has broken his silence over the revival of a Ksh272 million land fraud case that adversely mentions Deputy President William Ruto.
Speaking to Nation, the no-nonsense agency boss disclosed that his office would treat everyone involved in the case without fear or favour.
He, however, clarified that he was not investigating the DP personally but added that he would ensure that justice prevailed and that everyone found culpable ends up behind bars.
“I'm investigating the massive plunder of KPC. Anybody who stole from KPC (Kenya Pipeline Company), no matter the period, no matter the trick they used to steal, must return the public property or they’ll go to jail,” Kinoti told the publication.
The Standard, on Wednesday, January 22, indicated that the agency had reopened an old land fraud case in which the DP is alleged to have defrauded a government agency of Ksh272 million.
In 2004, the DP was charged with the fraud alongside two other people but was later acquited due to a lack of evidence.
In his address, Kinoti disclosed that probe into the matter was ongoing and that a number of suspects had already been interrogated by the agency.
The DP was linked with a firm, Berke Commercial Agencies, which had reportedly pocketed Ksh96 million from Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) over the sale of the 4.3 million acres.
Ruto had been sued alongside former President Daniel arap Moi’s private secretary Joshua Kulei and former Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita, alongside two other firms for receiving the money on August 6 and September 6, 2001.
On Monday, January 21, one Paul Chirchir with his lawyer Katwa Kigen, visited the DCI offices along Kiambu Road for questioning.
"I appeared before the detective on Monday. They wanted to know the names of directors of the firms and how much they each received. They also asked for documentation on the sale agreement.
"All these were on trial in the case prosecuted by then CID from 2004 to 2011. The DCI couldn't say the motive for the unorthodox attempt to re-open the case," Kigen stated.
Out of the Kshs 272 million, Ruto had been suspected to have bagged Ksh 43 million.
