MURANG'A GOVERNOR ARRESTED, CLAIMS ITS POLITICAL

Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria who was arrested by anti-corruption detectives Wednesday has alleged politics in his ordeal saying he had been cleared of the matter in question long before the 2013 elections.

The Murang’a governor was arrested over information he provided to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) before the last general election in corruption declaration forms.

He said the matter in question had initially been filed in court by a voter who sought to block his nomination to vie for the governor’s seat.

The case concerned a Sh400,000 cheque he had issued to a supplier of animal feeds which bounced.

It was handled by Justice Isaac Lenaola and executed in Mr Iria’s favour with costs, which he is still pursuing.

SHOCKED BY ARREST

“I was shocked to learn that I was being arrested for a matter related to the 2013 general election and not 2017,” he told reporters at the Integrity Centre soon after he had been released by the officers.

The Murang’a County Governor was bundled in the detectives’ Land Rover vehicle and driven to the EACC headquarters in Nairobi for questioning in a dramatic afternoon episode.

He was later released on bond and is expected back to the commission’s offices next week for further investigation.

The commission says Mr Iria is under investigation for various allegations based on Chapter 6 of the Constitution which deals with integrity and leadership, which include ‘knowingly misleading’ the Commission contrary to Section 46 (1) (C).

According to the commission, the governor gave misleading information on pre-election declaration documents which he used to get clearance before he vied for the governor’s position in the last general election.

NO FULL DISCLOSURE

The commission says he did not make full disclosure concerning the case.

But the governor feels the arrest had political connotations.

“I feel the same people who went to court now want to make me look bad especially with what is happening regarding corruption in this country.

“Someone must have been unhappy that my name was missing on the list and had to find a way to drag me into this,” he said.

He said he was not a criminal and there were no questions on the management and use of resources in his County.

“The war on corruption is a noble initiative, but when it starts getting to witch-hunt and drama it becomes trivialised.

“We have to stop politicising everything and allow the right processes and systems to take place,” he stated.

The governor recorded a statement in on the allegations that were levelled against him and was let go.

The commission said it will recommend appropriate action to the Director of Public Prosecutions once the investigations are finalised.