Posted on September, 5, 2018 at 11:16 am
By Cyrus Ombati
Suspended standards officials were yesterday questioned over seized rice and spaghetti in the ongoing purge on contraband goods.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) officials were summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, where they spent the better part of the day. Yesterday was the second day they appeared before detectives. They were at the DCI on Monday and will return on Friday. On the spot Among those who were at the DCI were suspended Managing Director Charles Ongwae, Eric Chesire Kiptoo, the director of quality assurance at Kebs, Erick Ochieng’ and three other senior officials. Sources said the officials were questioned on the importation of the food on December 17, 2017, from Pakistan.
Some officials stationed at the Mombasa port had claimed in their statements they had declined to clear the suspect cargo but were overruled by officials at the headquarters.
The rice is being held at the port. DCI George Kinoti said he would only comment when the probe was complete. The detectives handling the matter said they would forward their files to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for action after the probe was complete.
The officials are likely to face more charges, if the DPP approves the DCI recommendations. Mr Ongwae and his fellow managers were arraigned on June 25. They denied charges of abuse of office, commission of a felony and breach of trust and were each released on Sh15 million bond.
Others charged include Peter Kinyanjui, the inspection manager at the Kilindini port; Martin Musyanya, the Kebs Coast regional manager; Pole Mwangemi, the port health officer at Kilindini; Erick Kariuki, the supervisor of customs at the Kenya Revenue Authority; and Mr Benson Oduor, a clearing agent with Bolloré Transport and Logistics Kenya Ltd.
They were also charged with unlawfully releasing to OCP (K) Ltd 5,846,000kgs of substandard compound fertiliser containing mercury, a substance that endangers human life. They allegedly committed the offence between November 13, 2017, and June 7, 2018. A special multi-agency team has been set up to specifically deal with the contraband menace. In July, State agencies were involved in the seizure of more than a million tonnes of contraband sugar in parts of the country.
Officials from the National Campaign against Drug Abuse, the National Environment Management Authority, the National Police Service, KRA, the Anti-Counterfeit Agency and Kebs have over the past two months been cracking down on illicit trade and contraband in a campaign against tax evasion and smuggling.
Source: Standard Digital