Kiraitu Urged PS 'To Go Easy'

Daily Nation

24 January 2007 Page: 4

In February last year, Mr. Githongo released a tape detailing what appeared to be attempts by Justice minister Kiraitu Murungi to cover up Anglo Leasing type scandals. In the tape, which was first broadcast by BBC, Mr. Githongo said Mr. Murungi had called on him to pass a message from a businessman whose payments Mr. Githongo "was investigating" because he feared they were part of a corrupt deal. "Call it, blackmail or bribery. Call it what you want. But he was telling me that the message... was that I should back off;' Mr. Githongo said. He told the BBC that the minister had raised the question of a loan owed by his (Mr. Githongo's) father. According to him, the minister linked the loan to the corruption investigations that he (Mr. Githongo) was undertaking. Message He said the tape showed the minister conveying the message that the man he was investigating felt ''like fighting back." In the tape, Mr. Murungi was heard saying: "I think the general message is; Tell Githongo to go a bit slow:' He is also heard to say; "Then even we can go slow on your matter;' Mr. Githongo told the BBC: "The minister of Justice was telling me that if I eased off my inquiries then my father's loan matter would be made to go away." But reacting to the tape, Mr. Murungi denied the allegations and shot 36 questions to Mr. Githongo and asked the Parliamentary Accounts Committee - which visited the former PS in London – to put to him on his behalf. Mr. Murungi also aid Mr. Githongo's job was to advise the President on governance and questioned when he became an anticorruption investigator.