The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has promised more arrests involving senior NHIF and KPC managers next week.
Hours after DCI officers nabbed some managers in connection with graft in the two government institutions, the DPP was breathing fire as the fight against graft went a notch higher.
“I have given consent to arrest senior managers from NHIF and KPC over graft allegations and they shall be arraigned in court on Monday as we seek more,” he said.
Addressing the press in Enashipai Resort in Naivasha, the DPP revisited the issue of arresting suspects on Friday as has been the norm by his office.
He denied that he was the move was meant to punish those arrested as they waited in cells over the weekend before they were charged in courts on Monday.
Haji at the same time waded into the case facing suspended DCJ Philemona Mwilu by defending the move to appoint private Counsel from the UK to prosecute the case.
The DPP said the appointment of Queen Counsel (QC) Khawar Qureshi was in line with the constitution noting that in the past the same had been carried out in the UK and Kenya.
He defended the appointment noting that this was meant to address the issue of independence in the high profile case that is facing the DCJ.
“At the moment there many questions on the role of Secretary, Public Prosecutions (SSP) including allegations of political interference and witch-hunt and hence the need for independence in this case,” he said.
He said that they had entered into a plea bargain with eight NYS suspects and Family Bank while eight other banks had been fined Sh300m for breaking the law.
“The only fears we have is that is this programme is not used well it would lead to abuse of court process and thus the need to put in the necessary policies to safeguard it,” he said.
On her part, the SPP Dorcas Odour revisited the appointment of the QC saying that this was in line with the constitution adding that the DPP could appoint someone to undertake his duty.
She said that many local counsels were reluctant to take over the DCJ case for fears of meeting her in future in case she was found not guilty in the graft case.
“There is no requirement to have a practising license as alleged and all the QC requires is a special license and we have followed this law,” he said.
QC Khawar on his part evaded the topic noting he had in the past worked in various countries and followed the laws of the said jurisdiction.
“We should build foundations on the belief that no one is above the law and the prosecution should have transparent justice,” he told the participants.