Monday, July 16, 2012

Saitoti family: “Strange events” led to chopper crash


Saitoti family: “Strange events” led to chopper crash

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Updated 1 hrs 46 mins ago
By Cyrus Ombati and Ally Jamah
The commission of inquiry into the death of Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode kicked off on Monday with the family of Saitoti citing they are ready to show how “foul play” may have led to the fatal crash which happened in Ngong Forest.
The family said it is ready to demonstrate using experts that “strange events” happened to the chopper before it crashed few minutes after takeoff from Wilson Airport, Nairobi.
Through lawyer Fred Ngatia, Saitoti’s family said an analysis on the baroscope inspection on the wreckage of the chopper had revealed “strange events”.
“Our expert has looked at the baroscope report and the more he looks at it the more strange it looks to him. We want to testify at the earliest opportunity,” said Ngatia.
The baroscope inspection on the wreckage of the chopper was done on July 12 in the presence of experts representing the families.
He said he would use two aviation experts from South Africa Tim Carter and Chris Briers that the family has hired in demonstrating the strange events.
Carter who has more than 50 years of experience in the aviation industry was present when Ngatia made the application at the commission.
Engine analysis
The family is also opposed to flying some parts of the chopper to France for further analysis claiming the country has a track record of not producing results in good time.
“France is not an option to us and we ask that we choose a place locally to dismantle the engine there and do the technical analysis. If we fly the parts to France, it would be difficult for us to know the truth,” said Carter.
He added they do not want to leave an iota of any doubt on what may have caused the crash of the helicopter AS350 B3e.
The lawyer however said they are not opposed in taking some of the parts to US and South Africa for analysis on condition the results are relayed directly to the commission and not through Kenya government intermediaries. They also want the findings made public.
Commission chair and court of appeal judge Justice Kalpana Rawal asked Ngatia to make the application in writing to the enable them draw a timetable of events to take place.
The public hearing started on Monday with the lead counsels saying they intend to call more than 80 witnesses to give testimony on their mandate.
Their testimonies may run till December, a fact which led Justice Kalpana to express the need for the process to be expedited for the family and Kenyans to know the truth. She directed that the number of witnesses may be cut if necessary to avoid duplications in testimony.
Justice Rawal ordered that the hearings begin on July 23 to enable the counsels and lawyers representing the families agree on various issues on how the proceedings will be conducted in the shortest time possible.
Lead Counsel Lucy Kambuni said each of the witnesses may take more than a day in giving evidence before the commission including politicians who claimed in Parliament that they know the hand behind Saitoti’s death.
Other than investigating the cause of the June 10 accident in Ngong forest, terms of reference for the commission include investigating the procedures surrounding the procurement and purchase of the helicopter AS350 B3e.
It shall also seek to establish how the helicopter was serviced since the time it was purchased, usage and storage prior to the accident that occurred in Kibiku area of Ngong Forest outside the capital Nairobi.
Apart from Saitoti and Ojode, pilots captain Nancy Gitunja, captain Luke Oyugi and bodyguards Joshua Tonkei and Thomas Murimi were killed in the crash.
But Ngatia said the proposed time to be taken by the witnesses is too long and asked the commission to look into the terms of reference sequentially and not in compartments even as he demanded they be given relevant documents from the secretariat.
Earlier on, lawyers Ken Ogetto and Otachi Omanwa representing the Kenya Civil Aviation had successfully applied to be enjoined in the inquiry.
Lawyer Mayan Sankole represents the family of Tonkei.
Justice Rawal is the chair of the commission and the commissioners are Maj-Gen (Rtd) Harold Tangai, Maj (Rtd) Charles Muyehe Wandiri, Capt Peter Maranga and Mr Fredrick Aggrey Opot.
Assisting counsels for the team will include Charles Mutinda, Lucy Kambuni of the AG’s office and James Mungai Warui of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions while Clatus Macowenga, the chief inspector of aircraft accidents will form part of the technical team with the foreigners.
The police chopper was headed for Ojode’s rural home in Homabay when it crashed less than 10 minutes after it took off.
Since then, speculations have been rife as to the possible cause of the crash with some MPs linking drug barons to the deaths.
Others to be summoned are engineers at the Kenya Police airwing, officials who participated in procuring and servicing the chopper, those from ministry of transport, metrological department and eye witnesses.

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