CORD leader Raila Odinga has criticised the prosecution of Planning Principal Secretary, Peter Mangiti and National Youth Service (NYS) Director General, Nelson Githinji, stating that the two were being used as scapegoats to shield the real culprits of the graft cases at the NYS involving Sh695 Million.
In a statement, Odinga bashed the Jubilee Goverment citing that it was not handling the matter in an open and transparent way.
“I believe Peter Mangiti and Nelson Githinji are not alone in whatever they are accused of doing. They are just but the apostles of the High Priestess of corruption in Kenya, whom for some mysterious reasons, the Jubilee regime is determined to protect at all costs,” Odinga stated.
The former Prime Minister demanded the Government appoints an international audit firm that would investigate the unscrupulous dealings at the NYS and the Devolution Ministry, if it intended to fight corruption.
“The only way the Government can convince Kenyans that it is genuine in its anti-corruption drive on this NYS saga, is by appointing an independent international audit firm to look into the transactions and accounts of NYS and all the tender procurement and payment since April 2013 and assign responsibility. The firm must be instructed to follow the money trail and unearth the real beneficiaries of these payments. The report of the firm should be made public and submitted simultaneously to both the President and Parliament.” Odinga's statement read in part.
Odinga pointed out that the Government ought to stop fooling Kenyans in regard to the NYS scandal, adding that there was no way an official could be investigated while still in office.
"The Government must stop taking Kenyans for fools. We refuse to accept that the NYS corruption saga has now been settled. It is not possible for Government agencies to investigate senior Government officers while they are still in office more less make public adverse conclusions they may want to reach arising from such investigation." Raila said.
On Monday, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Keriako Tobiko, ordered for the immediate prosecution of Mangiti, Githinji and 24 other persons linked to the graft allegations at the NYS department.
PS Mangiti was accused of colluding with Githinji and Businessman Benson Muchemi, to stop NYS Senior Deputy Director General, Adan Harakhe from reporting a conspiracy to steal over Sh695 Million from the department.
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