- On Thursday, December 21, 2023, EACC detectives arrested three out of the 16 suspects over a KSh 18.5 billion scandal
- Najib Balala is expected to face 10 charges relating to the construction of the KSh 18.5 billion Utalii College, Kilifi campus
- The arrested persons include Balala, Leah Adda Gwiyo, and Joseph Odero, managing partner of West Consult Engineers
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Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.
Nairobi - Detectives attached to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
According to the anti-graft agency, Balala is expected to face 10 charges relating to the construction of the KSh 18.5 billion Utalii College, Kilifi campus.
"After the completion of investigations into these allegations, the commission forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who concurred with the recommendations from the commission to charge the former Ministry of Tourism officials," EACC said.
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When will Najib Balala and co-accused be arraigned
A senior official from EACC told journalists outside the Integrity Centre in Nairobi that on Thursday, December 21, detectives arrested three out of the 16 suspects who are supposed to be charged in the case.
"The three who were arrested are in the custody of the commission at the Integrity Centre Police Station and they will be taken to court on the morning of Friday, December 22 to face 10 counts of corruption and economic crime," the EACC officer said.
He said the arrested persons who are in police custody include Balala, Leah Adda Gwiyo (former principal secretary Ministry of Tourism), and Joseph Odero (managing partner of West Consult Engineers).
TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that an anti-corruption court cleared former Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich in the KSh 63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams corruption case.
Why Henry Rotich was acquitted
On Thursday, December 14, trial Magistrate Eunice Nyutu acquitted Rotich and eight others over a lack of evidence.
In her ruling, the magistrate criticised the prosecution over how they handled the case.
"All the accused persons in this case are hereby acquitted under section 210 due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution," Nyutu said.
The magistrate blamed the prosecution for leading only eight out of the 49 witnesses they intended to call. "This would appear to be a prosecution-led acquittal," the magistrate stated.
The former CS had been charged alongside Kennedy Nyakundi Nyachiro, Jackson Njau Kinyanjui, David Kipchumba Kimosop, William KiPkemboi Maina, Paul Kipkoech Serem, Francis Chepkonga Kipkech, Titus Murithi, and Geoffrey Mwangi Wahungu.
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