NARC Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua has alleged that she was blocked from seeing former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya after he was arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers on Wednesday, August 23.
In a statement, the Azimio Principal on Thursday revealed that she had tried to access the Governor at Integrity Centre accompanied by other lawyers when the officers reportedly blocked them.
The former Gichugu MP claimed that the EACC officers dictated who could access the ODM Deputy Party leader even as politicians from the opposition Azimio coalition protested.
Hours after the arrest, the EACC released a statement where it claimed that the former county chief had been arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement of public funds amounting to over Ksh1.3 billion during his tenure as Kakamega Governor.
"You behaved in an opaque manner in his arrest and detention. You barred us as lawyers from accessing Oparanya at your offices and dictated who could or could not access him thus violating the law," she claimed.
"As public officers, you are required to operate within the law. Is your statement factual and accurate or is it political?"
According to the EACC, the arrest of Oparanya and subsequent raids at his homes in Nairobi and Western were within the law even as the agency scrambled to urge leaders to desist from politicising the matter.
Oparanya was brought in at Integrity House to record a statement about the alleged loss of funds. However, he was released thereafter.
Nonetheless, the former Governor will be required to present himself for further questioning in the coming days before a file is presented to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) with recommendations on charges to be preffered.
During his arrest, Oparanya was accompanied by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna alongside Lawyers Danstan Omari and Ndegwa Njiru among other Azimio leaders.
Omari, acting for Oparanya, poked holes into his client's arrest, amounting it to political intimidation.
"They raided the houses without a search warrant and they even went further to arrest the spouses. This has never happened. will be talking with Azimio to instruct me to move to disband the EACC," Omari stated.
