Wetang’ula faces Tokyo probe today

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula is to face anti-corruption investigators today over his role in the Sh1.1 billion loss of taxpayers’ cash in an embassy deal.

“The minister will be interviewed by my officers tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission boss Patrick Lumumba on Tuesday.

He will be questioned despite it being Mashujaa Day, he said.

Mr Wetang’ula will be the most senior Foreign Affairs ministry official to be interviewed after his permanent secretary, Mr Thuita Mwangi. The scandal could force them to step out of office if a report by a House team pending in Parliament is adopted.

Dr Lumumba said the agency was speeding up its investigations, a move that had nothing to do with an invitation from Mr Wetang’ula in a letter early this month.

“We are not instigated by a letter,” he said, adding “it (letter) did not tell us anything new”.

The agency, he said, had been on the matter for long and had collected evidence which will be submitted to Attorney-General Amos Wako once a report is prepared.

He said the investigations had been going on since May.

Dr Lumumba said senior Foreign Affairs officials from Japan who were involved in the transaction were in the country to be questioned over their roles.
He also said officers from the commission had also visited Japan where they collected evidence on the issue.

The report by Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations said Kenya lost more than Sh1.1 billion in the transaction in Tokyo, Japan.

The government further lost Sh84 million in the purchase of a chancery in Brussels, Belgium, the report said.

It recommended that Mr Wetang’ula take political responsibility and step aside to pave the way for investigations by the anti-corruption commission and other relevant arms of government.

It further recommended that Mr Wetang’ula be barred from holding any state office if found guilty by a court of law.

Of Mr Mwangi, the team recommended that he be investigated over the Tokyo deal and other transactions in embassies abroad. He should also be barred from holding public office if found guilty.

Debate on the House report had been expected in Parliament yesterday, but it was not listed on the order paper. But since today is a public holiday, it is likely to come up for debate next week if it is not included in tomorrow’s business.

Parliament rules require that business be known 12 hours before the sitting, meaning that changes can still be made and the scandal included for debate on Thursday.

Last Thursday, tempers flared in the House when MPs learnt that the matter had been excluded from parliamentary business.