Pattni to appear Cockar probe team
Kamlesh pattni. Photo/FILE
What you need to know:
- The investigation will seek to reveal the roles played by all the people adversely mentioned.
- Mr Pattni told a parliamentary committee that he surrendered the Grand Regency Hotel to the Central Bank of Kenya.
Goldenberg architect Kamlesh Pattni has been summoned as witness number one before the commission investigating the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.
He will appear before the team chaired by former Chief Justice Abdul Majid Cockar on Monday at 10am.
According to the summons issued on July 25, Mr Pattni will be attending the commission’s session on Monday as a witness but will also be expected to be at the sittings as the team may direct.
Mr Justice Cockar’s team was formed by President Kibaki following the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.
It led to motion of censure against Finance minister Amos Kimunya by Parliament.
Mr Kimunya left office to pave the way for investigations.
The investigation will seek to reveal the roles played by all the people adversely mentioned in the controversial sale that threatened to rock the Grand Coalition Government.
It will specifically seek to find out the roles that Mr Kimunya, Central Bank governor Njuguna Ndung’u and the bank’s legal secretary, Mr Ken Abuga, played in the sale.
A company associated with Mr Pattni owned the hotel before it was placed under receivership prior to the sale.
Drops cases
Mr Pattni has already told a parliamentary committee that he surrendered the five-star hotel to the Central Bank of Kenya on condition that the State drops all criminal and civil cases against him.
The hotel was sold to the Libyan Arab Africa Investments Company for Sh2.9 billion.
The controversy, first revealed by the Saturday Nation on April 19, assumed a political dimension last month when Lands minister James Orengo said the hotel was sold without his knowledge.
