CORD leader Raila Odinga was last night forced to walk from his Capitol Hill office after armed police officers blocked all exits and entrances to his compound.
Two CID officers and two forensic investigators from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission had gone to Raila’s office in the afternoon to serve him with summons to appear before the EACC over the Eurobond saga.
Raila has claimed for weeks that the government lost Sh140 billion of the Eurobond’s proceeds, prompting an investigations order by Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko.
On arrival Raila asked them to wait for his lawyers, Moses Wetang’ula, TJ Kajwang’, Paul Mwangi and James Orengo, but the officers insisted there was no need for the counsellors to come.
The lawyers took issue with the “contemptuous and threatening” tone of the summons letter.
They also questioned why the EACC has never found it necessary to record statements from Raila from his offices when it has had occasion to send officers abroad to record statements from other individuals.
Raila took issue with the commission’s legitimacy as currently constituted, without commissioners.
He told the officers “there is no possible threat” to his life that he has not faced.
He told the officers he will not appear at Integrity Centre, the EACC headquarters, he will not be compelled and he will not be intimidated.
The lawyers dismissed the threat and summons, saying Raila was protected as a whistleblower by law.
Once the police officers realized that they were not making progress, they decided to leave, only to find the media and a crowd waiting for them. They refused to talk to the media and walked back into Raila’s office, where they called for reinforcements.
In a matter of minutes, heavily armed police officers arrived in six cars. They blocked both exit and entrance gates, saying they had gone to rescue their colleagues whom they claimed had been detained.
The officers surrounded Raila’s office and did not allow any car to leave the compound. The opposition chief was however allowed to leave on foot, accompanied by his lawyers and some supporters, to the nearby Nairobi Club.
In a statement later, EACC chief executive officer Halakhe Waqo said Raila would be arrested if he fails to appear before the commission on Monday.
Waqo said the EACC is gazetted as a police station and can therefore issue such summons against any person who fails to honour its request to offer information.
He said the law gives EACC investigators the powers and immunities of a police officer.
“Section 46 of the Leadership and Integrity Act makes it an offence to obstruct, hinder, assault or threaten an officer of the commission and, if charged under this Act, a person is liable to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both,” Waqo said.
The EACC’s Chief Inspector, Fredrick Mwangi, issued the summons compelling Raila to give the information that he has on the Eurobond.
“I have reasons to believe that you, Raila, have information that may assist me in my investigations,” Mwangi said.
He directed that Raila should be at the EACC on Monday at 10am, failing which he will be liable for prosecution.
Source- the-star.co.ke
