Anger Over Clearance By Ringera Daily Nation 22 January 2007 Page: 6
The clean bill of health given to Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi by the anti-corruption agency in the Anglo Leasing scandal came under heavy criticism by the Opposition yesterday.
ODM Kenya leaders described it as “a political and not legal clearance.”
Mr Murungi’s clearance file was sent to Attorney-General Amos Wako by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission’s director, Justice Aaron Ringera, in November last year and was declared closed on Monday last week.
“This is political clearance and not legal clearance,” said lawyer Mutula Kilonzo, ODM-K’s vice chairman.
The party’s interim secretary-general, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, laid the blame on President Kibaki, who he said, had failed miserably to fight corruption.
“If President Kibaki can take Ringera’s word as the gospel truth and dismiss John Githongo (former Governance and Ethics PS) as a liar, then something is terribly wrong,” Prof Nyong’o said.
Mr Kilonzo said Mr Ringera’s move had confirmed to Kenyans that he was a goalkeeper for corrupt ministers and political cronies of President Kibaki.
“Why did he not clear people like Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto or even such an innocent person like former PS Sammy Kyungu if he was sincere? Ringera should be arrested and charged with abuse of office,” Mr Kilonzo said.
Millions of Kenyans
The Kanu nominated MP said he was among millions of Kenyans who listened to the tape recording through the BBC radio where Mr Murungi was heard laughing, before he warned former Governance and Ethics permanent secretary John Githongo to go slow over his investigations into the scandal.
One of the grounds Mr Ringera used in clearing Mr Murungi was that the tape-recorded conversation, which formed the basis of the main allegation was, “largely unintelligible and the audible parts depict a conversation in short terse statements, whose literal meaning would be a matter of conjecture.”
Mr Kilonzo said some of the people Mr Ringera was seeking to clear featured prominently on a list of shame published by Justice minister Martha Karua last year over the scandal.
They included Vice-President Moody Awori and former Cabinet ministers Chris Murungaru and David Mwiraria. Others included former Finance ministers Chris Okemo, Chris Obure and ODM-K presidential hopefuls William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi.
Mr Wako is this morning scheduled to hold a press conference to clarify issues addressed by the Gazette Notice that was published by Mr Ringera, according to a statement released by Government spokesperson Alfred Mutua.
Kabete MP Paul Muite blamed the Government of hastily moving to fix certain personalities and suppliers to please the donors.
Elsewhere, Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta and secretary-general William Ruto accused the Government of playing politics in the dispensation of justice.
They also took issue with Mr Wako and the Justice Ringera, whom they accused of being used to defend the corrupt.
The leaders spoke in Ugenya, Siaya District during the burial of Kanu’s Nairobi branch executive secretary Andricus Abiero.
In another development, two Cabinet ministers were among seven MPs who at the weekend called for reinstatement of Mr Mwiraria to the Cabinet.
Cooperative minister Njeru Ndwiga and his Energy counterpart Kiraitu Murungi said that Mr Mwiraria should be reinstated. They were addressing a Narc Kenya meeting in Meru Town.