Terms of 9 in anti-graft team end
What you need to know:
- Harsh judgment awaits the officers whether or not they seek an extension of their terms which begun in mid-August, 2004.
- The KACC chairman has confirmed that the process of having the board members replaced has already been set in motion.
- He has defended the performance of the board even in how they handled the Grand Regency case saying its operations were all above board.
The terms of nine of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission board members, including that of the chairman Allan Ngugi is expiring in one month's time.
And with indications that they don’t have much to show for their tenure, harsh judgment awaits the officers whether or not they seek an extension of their terms which begun in mid-August, 2004.
The chairman has confirmed that the process of having the board members replaced has already been set in motion.
Sources privy to preliminary discussions at Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs headed by Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohammed told Sunday Nation that renewal of their contracts would be the last option given their performance over the last four-year term.
However, Mr Ngugi defended the performance of the board even in how they handled the Grand Regency case saying its operations were all above board.
According to him, KACC in general was being unfairly accused as having taken part in the sale of the hotel.
Midstream
“And as you will see from the necessary documentation, we had watertight agreements with Kamlesh Pattni.
"In fact in the agreement we had agreed that even if Pattni was to change his mind from signing the necessary documentation midstream, the assistant registrar of the High Court was to sign on his behalf,” explained Mr Ngugi.
Mr Ngugi succeeded Ahmednasir Abdullahi, the then Law Society of Kenya Chairman, who was the Chairman of the Board form August, 2003.
KACC spokesperson Nicholas Simani too confirmed and told Sunday Nation that the process had been initiated as stipulated in the law.
Contacted for comment the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs vice chairman Millicent Odhiambo said although they had not received the letter that Mr Ngugi said he sent to them, the issue had been raised at their meeting.
“We had discussed it in our last meeting and agreed that we will write to the Minister for Justice, to ask her to hasten the process given the limited time available,” explained Ms Odhiambo.
But the chairman had earlier dispelled any fears about time schedule saying there is no lacuna even if the expiry date were today.
