KENYA: Kenyan government announce fraud charges against five high-profile figures linked to country's biggest graft scandal

Record ID: 362998

  • Title: KENYA: Kenyan government announce fraud charges against five high-profile figures linked to country's biggest graft scandal
  • Date: 16th March 2006
  • Summary: (BN12) NAIROBI, KENYA (MARCH 15, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF STREET OF NAIROBI KENYANS WALKING IN THE STREET
  • Embargoed: 31st March 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB8214LRURSXH7PE8J9ZGY8GWT
  • Story Text: Kenya announced fraud charges on Wednesday (March 15) against five high-profile figures linked to its biggest graft scandal, in the most concrete move yet by a government under heavy fire for tolerating corruption. Attorney General Amos Wako's decision to charge the men over the long-running Goldenberg case followed pressure from Kenyans and Western donors alike for President Mwai Kibaki to make good on his election promise of zero tolerance for corruption.
    By charging four former senior government officials and Kamlesh Pattni -- a businessman accused of masterminding the scam -- Kibaki's government will hope to restore some of its fading credibility.
    Pattni has denied any wrongdoing in the case, in which 1 billion U.S. dollars was siphoned from state coffers through fake gold and diamond exports in the early 1990s under President Daniel arap Moi. His 24-year rule until 2002 became synonymous with graft.
    A statement by Wako said those to be charged included James Kanyotu, Moi's powerful spy chief, former central bank governor Eric Kotut, his deputy Eliphaz Riungu and ex-Treasury permanent secretary Wilfred Koinange.
    Kenyans in Nairobi had different views of the case.
    "Although justice delayed is justice denied, sometime they say it's better late than never," said Nairobi resident Wanyiri Kagiri.
    "It's like a game the government has been playing, sometimes you hear they have arrested those involved in the scandal-- and they have put them in jail. Later you hear they been released and that the government is following up on them which is a lie. So we are just taking it as their usual play," added Victor Wambua.
    The case is one of two major scandals dogging Kibaki's administration, angering Kenyans and Western donors because of lack of action against the culprits. Two other ministers resigned in February over the more recent Anglo Leasing scam, which started under Moi but continued after Kibaki took power in 2002 on pledges to clean up graft.
    That scandal involved fraudulent tenders for at least 200 million U.S. dollars to a fictitious firm for forgery-proof passports, a naval ship and forensic laboratories.
    Several attempts have been made to prosecute key figures in the Goldenberg scandal since 1994.
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