Court didn't order return of 'all' Kidero property: EACC
What you need to know:
Dr Kidero has sought temporary orders preventing the anti-corruption agency from searching his premises, accusing it of harassing him with the intention of crippling him financially.
- EACC had, however, disputed his allegations of harassment, arguing that valuation was part of its investigation.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has denied claims that it was ordered by the court to return all the property it seized from former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero, who is facing abuse of office and money laundering charges.
On Tuesday, Justice Hedwig Ong’udi ruled: “Any searched and seized properties which the EACC has already found to be unrelated to the matter at hand must be released forthwith within the next 72 hours.” Justice Ong'udi said that the orders would enable the court to deal with the petition exhaustively, without unnecessary distractions and applications.
ORDERS
EACC Communications Manager Ayila Yassin said the conservatory orders had been misunderstood.
“It is not true that court ordered the commission to return all the seized property belonging to the former governor. The court only directed that the EACC return what it finds unrelated to the investigations,” Mr Yassin said.
Dr Kidero has sought temporary orders preventing the anti-corruption agency from searching his premises, accusing it of harassing him with the intention of crippling him financially.
EACC had, however, disputed his allegations of harassment, arguing that valuation was part of its investigation.
Initially, EACC wrote to the Chief Land Registrar asking for documents on parcels of land owned by Dr Kidero.
RESTRICTIONS
The anti-graft agency told the court that it did not know how Dr Kidero obtained its letters from the Land Ministry, and accused him of concealing information in those letters.
EACC, in its court papers, claimed that during its search on his premises, it came across documents showing he was in the process of transferring some of his properties.
The commission also claimed that it had sought restrictions on the properties alleged to have been transferred in a bid to conclude its investigations.
However, in his suit papers, Dr Kidero alleged that some of the properties seized did not form part of the ongoing investigations against him.
