Nairobi, Kenya, Mar 17 – The Anti-Corruption court in Milimani has dismissed a petition by former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich seeking to dismiss charges against him in the Arror and Kimwarer Dams scandal.
The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (ODPP) said Thursday in a statement that “the ruling affirms DPP’s position that the charges were properly instituted by the Office which has powers to institute criminal charges under Article 157 of the Constitution.”
“The Arror and Kimwarer Dams Case is set for hearing on 28th March 2022,” ODPP said in a tweet.
In November last year, Rotich and his co-accused were charged afresh in the scandal.
Rotich and his co-accused persons faced the charges afresh after the prosecution sought permission from trial magistrate Lawrence Mugambi to amend the charge sheet to reflect the new charges.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji had directed the withdrawal of a case against former Principal Secretary Kamau Thuge so as to become a prosecution witness.
Rotich and his accomplices were charged over abuse of office and misuse of funds meant for the construction of the dams.
They all denied the charges in the lucrative tenders that were issued to an Italian whose directors are yet to be charged.
On May 26, Rotich was charged afresh as the prosecution removed the names of former Principal Secretaries Kamau Thugge and Susan Koech who had been charged with him.
The two will testify against Rotich during the hearing.
The DPP also removed the names of 20 Italians who were still at large from the charge sheet and are meant to be charged separately.
The DPP said the evidence in the case remained the same and they will not be introducing new documents neither shall they be introducing new witnesses.
