Saturday, May 21, 2011

Saturday, 21 May 2011 00:07 BY ANDREW TEYIE

Interpol issues Red Alert for Okemo

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Share/Save/Bookmark INTERPOL has issued a Red Alert notice for parliamentary Finance committee chairman Chris Okemo and former Kenya Power and Lighting managing director Samuel Gichuru . A Jersey court issued arrest warrants for them on April 20, 2011 but the two failed to appear in court on May 5.
The Star exclusively broke the story yesterday of how Okemo and Gichuru were being charged in Jersey with defrauding KPLC and laundering the proceeds in the UK.
The 53 charges relate to commissions paid by international companies, mostly between 1999 and 2002, totaling 4,459,572 pounds sterling, 786,853 Danish kronor and 3,207,360 US dollars (Sh902 million in total).
Yesterday Kenya Anti Corruption Commission director  PLO Lumumba said he will work with Attorney General Amos Wako to execute the warrants of arrests on Okemo and Gichuru " I can confirm that KACC have also received the the warrants from Jersey, Channel Islands in UK for assistance. In the spirit of mutual legal assistance, we will fulfill our mandate. Criminality has been committed in Kenya. We will assist our partners who have been helpful in the past. Impunity must come to an end," declared PLO.  "Interpol through the AG to the Police want the order effected. The red notice has already been reflected in Tanzania, UAE and South Africa," stated sources.
An Interpol Red alert notice is not an international arrest warrant but alerts police forces around the world that the persons concerned are wanted  to answer charges in other jurisdictions. The Red Notices request that the wanted persons be arrested with a view to extradition.
Yesterday, British High Commissioner Rob Macaire yesterday refused to comment on the Jersey case against Okemo and Gichuru but indicated that more cases could materialise in future if Kenyans have stashed illegal gains in the UK.  “I can confirm that where we are aware of assets that are the fruits or corruption being held in the UK, and have enough evidence, we will take action. And we will pursue criminal charges wherever we are able to do so,” said Macaire. “Helping fight corruption in Kenya is a top priority for the UK Government, and we have a zero tolerance policy against corruption in all of its forms - we are fully committed to seeking out all perpetrators of corruption.  That includes providing law enforcement support to investigating the proceeds of corruption, fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities in other jurisdictions in the fight against graft, and pursuing cases in UK courts when relevant,” he said. “It would have been better for him (Okemo) to step aside as Finance chairman, even though he remains innocent until proved quilty according to the law. But the allegations against him have eaten into his reputation,” said Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara.
IIEC chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan said that the Public Office Ethics Act could provide ground for disqualification of discredited politicians facing criminal charges in court. He however said the rule that suspects are innocent until proved guilty could help politicians facing charges.
 Okemo was Energy minister from 1999 to 2001 and Finance minister from 2001 to 2003. Gichuru was managing director of KPLC between 1983 and 2003 when it was partially privatised.
The two allegedly channeled around Sh420 million in illegal commissions from the Kipevu II project to the offshore bank accounts of their front companies Windward Trading and Arus Management Services in Jersey, UK.
Another Sh480 million was paid in commissions to Gichuru "and others" on other unnamed projects by various international companies.
For Friday's full story and scanned copies of the court charge sheet see http://www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/25109-wanted-uk-issues-arrest-warrants-for-finance-committee-chairman-and-ex-kplc-boss-

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