Photo: FILE Kilome MP Harun Mwau.US ambassador to Kenya Jonathan Scott Gration on Thursday said that investigations against Mr Mwau and the findings the US had about him were “an internal matter” of America.
By AGGREY MUTAMBO, amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, June 30 2011 at 21:15
Posted Thursday, June 30 2011 at 21:15
The US will not share with Kenya the evidence it has against Kilome MP Harun Mwau’s alleged involvement in the drug business.
US ambassador to Kenya Jonathan Scott Gration on Thursday said that investigations against Mr Mwau and the findings the US had about him were “an internal matter” of America.
“This information will stay with us and so it is an internal matter. We believe what we have as evidence is required to protect the American people and assets in America,” Mr Gration said.
The envoy instead urged the Kenyan Government to conduct its own investigations and come up with a strong case.
“Whatever Kenya does internally we will leave it to its investigative and judicial system, and we will cooperate whenever necessary.”
Mr Gration was speaking during the 235th US independence celebrations at his residence in Nairobi.
Mr Gration was speaking during the 235th US independence celebrations at his residence in Nairobi.
The Kenyan police have said they have no evidence against Mr Mwau, who the US describes as a drug kingpin.
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere on Wednesday accused the US of being reluctant to share evidence with the Kenyan police despite blacklisting the MP.
On Tuesday, Washington said that up to 10 United States government agencies had been watching Mr Mwau for years and had built a “foolproof” case against him.
In a teleconference with journalists in Nairobi, Mr Adam Szubin, the director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) in the US Department of Treasury, said his government slapped sanctions on Mr Mwau because of a container of cocaine found at Pepe Container Depot in 2004.
Mr Szubin said his government believes that both the depot and the container belonged to Mr Mwau and that he had a “long standing reputation” in drug dealing.
On Thursday, Mr Gration said “the designation of labelling him a drug kingpin had to do with that individual’s money and assets that are in the US and I don’t think it is going to affect our relations”.
US President Barack Obama listed Mr Mwau and Ms Naima Mohamed, also known as Mama Leila, as drug kingpins, seizing their property in the US and slapping a range of sanctions against them. Americans are banned from dealing with them.
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