Detectives fail to disclose accusers of Eliud Owalo

Updated Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 at 00:21 GMT +3

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s aide Eliud Owalo addresses the press at the CID headquarters Monday.  [Photo: Collins Kweyu/Standard]

By Geoffrey Mosoku and Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: Police Monday failed to take statements from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s aide Eliud Owalo who is facing allegations of plotting to destabilise the government.

Mr Owalo, who was accompanied by his lawyers and Cord MPs, arrived at CID headquarters on Kiambu Road but refused to record a statement after police failed to disclose who his accusers are and the specific crime that they were investigating.

“They took us through a 10-point written remarks of what they claim are allegations but failed to declare the complaint and offence they are probing,” lawyer Haron Ndubi said.

Consequently, the lawyers and Owalo said they had asked police to conduct their own investigations and summon him if they establish what specifics they want addressed.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) believes Owalo is being intimidated after he refused to apologise to National Intelligence Service (NIS) boss Michael Gichangi and Chief of Defence Forces Michael Karangi.

The opposition party also claims Mr Owalo is not the real target but Mr Odinga, whom the Jubilee government is unable to tame.

Legislatorss Eseli Simiyu, Timothy Bosire, James Nyikal, James Wandayi, Charles Geni and nominated senator Agnes Zani maintained Mr Owalo was just a scapegoat.

“These are actions of government that has failed to deliver and is scared of the people. They are not able to tame Raila Odinga and have resorted to such intimidations,” said Mr Bosire, the Kitutu Masaba MP.

On Sunday night, Mr Odinga who appeared in a local TV claimed that government was using the matter of Owalo to create tension with the intention of declaring a state of emergency ahead of the ICC hearings.