The supremacy battles between chief prosecutor Noordin Haji and top detective George Kinoti escalated yesterday when the former claimed he ranks way higher than the battle-hardened sleuth.
“My relationship is with the IG, who is in charge of the police service and whom I give instructions. DCI is an officer under the IG. As such, my relationship should be gauged with the IG,” he said in a press briefing in Nairobi yesterday.
On the relationship between his office and the DCI, Mr Haji said his deputy directors are the only ones who deal with detectives regularly.
“I have quite a number of deputy directors who are at the same level with him. You can ask my deputy director in charge of corruption, there is another one in the homicides department. Those are the people he should be dealing with,” said Mr Haji.
Mr Kinoti called for the arrest of Mr Haji for forgery in May, claiming that the chief prosecutor doctored an attendance list of Terrorism and Terror Financing Act stakeholder forum that was held in March.
According to Article 157 (4) of the Constitution, the DPP has powers to direct the IG to investigate any information or allegation of criminal conduct and that the top policeman shall comply with any such direction.
Mr Haji clarified a statement he had made in the morning on an NTV show, where he said Deputy President William Ruto’s name did not feature in the file of the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
The statement trended on social media with several Kenyans saying Mr Haji’s statement showed that he supported Dr Ruto, a claim that the DPP refuted, saying his views should not be misused for political reasons.
“My statements should not be used for political purposes. If individuals have been accused of being involved in corruption in any way, they should be able to face the public and explain instead of using people’s statements,” he said.
The DPP said he was simply being factual when he made the statement, adding that should evidence be brought against anybody, his office would be ready and willing to take action.
“What matters is what is in the file and once the file is brought with the requisite evidence, we will deal with it. Where individuals have been accused, it is up to them to defend and clear themselves of any accusations. It is not my job to do that. I do not want in any way to be associated with any political party or leaning,” he said.
Dr Haji also told off Dr Ruto’s running mate Rigathi Gachagua, who had accused his office of taking him to court on trumped-up charges without evidence during the Tuesday night debate.
“The matter is in court, and if he feels there is no evidence, he will have his day in court. Our purpose of going to court is for the judiciary to have a say if there is evidence or not. I cannot take the words of a person suspected to have done crime to say that they are innocent. That is the work of his defence counsel in court,” he said.
