Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has now turned his gaze towards the Forestry Ministry headed by Keriako Tobiko over Kshs 1.2 Billion graft.
Through a letter dated December 10, Haji directed the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to commence investigations into the ministry’s dealings.
It is believed that the fraudulent dealings that lead to the loss involved the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) top officials and sawmillers and were carried out between 2012/13 and 2017/18 financial years.
CS Tobiko had earlier written a letter to the DPP asking his office to probe into the loss.
The CS explained that the loss may have resulted as a collusion between the officials and the unscrupulous sawmillers.
He further stated that the collusion came about due to huge debt owed to KFS by the saw millers.
He also divulged that, based on the huge debt, millers were expected to make their payments in full before they were allowed to cut down trees for processing.
"It would be necessary to investigate and determine whether the accumulated debt was as a result of collusion and conspiracy between KFS officials and the sawmillers in question to defraud KFS," read the letter.
In the letter, CS Tobiko further asked the DCI to investigate an additional Kshs 3.5 million loss which may have occurred from a gross undervaluation of forest plantations in the 2015/16 financial year.
He further named Kericho, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kiambu, and Meru as counties where the losses might have occurred.
