Raila rejects invitation to tomorrow’s meeting as Tobiko orders probe

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge will be questioned by detectives over the Sh289 billion Eurobond cash.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko on Wednesday gave the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and Directorate of Criminal Investigations 10 days to present their findings to him.

Questions have been raised on how the money, initially intended for large projects, was spent.

An explanation by Treasury showed how the money was shared out between ministries. The department of Planning was allocated Sh40 billion.

'COVER UP'

Cord leader Raila Odinga, who on Tuesday demanded full disclosure of the amount raised and how it was spent, dismissed Mr Tobiko’s order, saying it was an attempt to mislead the public and cover up the “scandal”.

Treasury had invited Mr Odinga on Friday to give him access to the records but the opposition boss declined, saying the information should be made public “as it is for all Kenyans because we are collectively going to pay for it”.

“We need to know if it was used for the purpose it was meant for. We will be waiting for the Treasury to furnish us with that information,” he said Tuesday when he condoled with Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero whose father Johnson Kidero Agango has died.

A letter was sent to Mr Odinga and the transaction experts involved in the deal to attend the Treasury meeting at 10am tomorrow.

According to the Treasury chief, Mr Odinga would be allowed to peruse documents on the Eurobond.

RAILA'S 14-DAY ULTIMATUM

Mr Odinga had given Treasury a 14-day ultimatum to make the information public, saying the government could not account for Sh140 billion.

Wednesday, he said he did not get the invitation and learnt of the meeting from the media.

At the same time, Mr Rotich and Dr Thugge will be summoned again by Parliament to shed more light on the matter, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Nicolas Gumbo told the Nation on Wednesday.

Mr Gumbo praised the order by the DPP saying it was “long overdue”.

He said the committee wanted clarification from the Treasury.

“We want to know why the money was taken to an offshore account, how it was moved and where it went,” Mr Gumbo said.

Mr Tobiko wants those involved in the Eurobond transactions to record statements. However, he did not give the names of those he wanted investigated.

Mr Rotich and Dr Thugge, by virtue of their positions, were at the centre of the transactions and have a number of times explained how the money was used.

REACTING AFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY

In a letter addressed to both agencies and sent to media houses Wednesday morning, Mr Tobiko expressed concern that in the last few months, allegations concerning the matter had been widely reported in the media.

Mr Tobiko also revealed that the two investigative agencies had launched inquiries into the issue, raising questions on what his directive was all about.

“I am informed that your agencies are undertaking investigations into the matter,” he said.

“This is therefore to direct you to interrogate, record statements and obtain evidence from all parties concerned and forward the completed file to my office within 10 days for perusal and appropriate directions.”

It came a day after Mr Odinga urged companies that took part in the transactions to release details of the Sh289 billion bond floated by the government on the Irish Stock Exchange.

According to Auditor-General Edward Ouko’s report, $2 billion was received on June 24, 2014.

He expressed fears that the cash could have be stolen since it was not deposited in the Consolidated Fund account.

The Law Society of Kenya has also demanded details of the deal.