Saitoti crash lawyers may re-invite MPs

Investigators may re-invite the MPs who claimed to know the cause of the helicopter crash that killed Internal Security minister George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojodeh, it has emerged.

Lawyers had initially demanded that Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal summon Gideon Konchella (Kilgoris), Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) and Rachel Shebesh (nominated) to testify following the statements they made in Parliament on June 28, that drug barons were behind the accident. (READ: Three MPs on the spot over Saitoti probe order)

The June 10 crash in Kibiku, Ngong also killed two pilots and two bodyguards,

On Monday, the lawyers appealed for time to reach a “consensus that may not necessarily have the commission issue the summons.”

They had warned the commission not to run into a legal collision course with the MPs asking their sentiments be treated as political sensationalism.

Parliament through lawyers Antony Njoroge and Sherif Sam Mwendwa had invoked the speech-immunity clause saying a compulsion to appear before the team would amount to an abuse of their right to free debate saying their silence should be interpreted to mean they had nothing to tell the commission.

In Monday’s hearing, the commission was also told low morale and mass staff exodus affected the police Airwing.

Airwing commandant Colonel Rodgers Mbithi, the commission’s 49th witness, said the pilots’ pay of less than Sh30,000 was a major cause of the search for greener pastures.

The commandant also said it had been difficult to pinpoint the cause of accidents in the department for lack of declaration of investigation reports conducted by the Transport Ministry.

He said since 2009, he had witnessed three police chopper accidents, but reports on their cause were never availed to them by the ministry of Transport to enable them take necessary measures.

Hearing continues on Tuesday.