Kinoti, Haji rekindle camaraderie as they announce recovery of Sh385m from NYS II banks
DPP Noordin Haji and DCI George Kinoti on Thursday sought to rekindle their fading camaraderie as they announced that a total of Sh385 million has been paid by banks that were involved in the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.
Speaking to the media on Thursday morning, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Haji said that his office is working hand in hand with that of DCI Kinoti and that contrary to reports, the two have no issues.
“Mimi nimewaambia hatujakosana wala hakuna mzozo wowote baina yetu sisi na DCI. Mambo hayo ni mambo watu tuu wanafikiria na wanataka kuyaleta. Kuna watu wengi hawafurahi namna kazi inafanywa, kazi itaendelea kufanywa na binadamu lazima kutakuwa na makosa hapa na pale lakini haimaanishi ya kwamba tumekosana,” explained Mr Haji.
Mr Kinoti had on Wednesday accused the DPP of frustrating his efforts.
The two principals have in the past not seeing eye to eye after clashing in court over the prosecution of Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Daniel Manduku, for alleged illegal tender awards.
Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot ordered that Mr Manduku was free to walk away from the courtroom since there was no authorised charge sheet by the DPP.
The investigating officer, however, produced a charge sheet authorised by the DCI but it was disowned in court by the prosecution. Showing a clear indication of a clash between the two departments.
“The banks and the managers we have entered into deferred prosecution and the meaning of deferred prosecution is that if they continue breaching the agreements we have with them, then we will be able to prosecute. But also remember the managers were not part and parcel of the crime itself just the fact that they failed to report. We were able to recover Sh385 million,” Mr Haji said.
The banks involved include KCB Group, Equity Bank, Standard Chartered Bank-Kenya, Diamond Trust Bank and Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
Approximately Sh10.5 billion was siphoned from NYS in 2018 in a well-orchestrated scheme involving senior government officials and ghost suppliers.