Police record Triton workers’ statements

Police on Tuesday recorded statements from Triton employees as they struggled to unearth illegal deals in the oil industry.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department are probing allegations that the Kenya Pipeline Company irregularly released oil to Triton, prejudicing financiers of Sh7.6 billion.

Fraud charges

Triton, which won a tender to import oil and supply it to dealers, is owned by Mr Yagnesh Devani, a tycoon wanted by police for fraud charges.

A source told the Nation that detectives were concentrating the probe on five key people, including Mr Devani and senior KPC managers.

Police have an arrest warrant for Mr Devani who has left the country. KPC managing director George Okungu was sent on leave while the operations manager, Mr Peter Mecha was suspended.

Petroleum Institute of East Africa general manager, George Wachira, who is also a director at KPC, resigned over the saga.

KPC is accused of clandestinely releasing 126 million litres of petroleum products without the knowledge and authority of the financiers.

Kenya Commercial Bank, one of Triton’s financiers, has since sought the court’s intervention as well as that of Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi to recover money owned by Triton.

Triton has since collapsed and its assets placed under receivership.