The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Sunday, March 19, faulted the Sunday Nation for publishing what it described as misleading information concerning a case involving a 2.5-acre piece of land on Procession Way in Nairobi.
In a statement, DDP Noordin Haji downplayed reports that there was bad blood between the office and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Haji clarified that the headline by the Sunday Nation was sensational and jeopardised the independence and interdependence of actors in the criminal justice system.
“The Office takes great exception with the headline on the Sunday Nation citing that there is a feud between the DCI and the DPP with regard to the fraud case involving a 2.5-acre piece of land on Procession Way.
“The ODPP states categorically that there is no feud between the two institutions as stated,” the statement read in part.
According to the story published by the Sunday Nation on March 19, the DCI had opened fresh investigations into a case involving a Mombasa businessman, that the Office of the ODPP had already concluded and preferred charges.
Nation detailed that the DCI boss Mohammed Amin had written to the Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary, Nixon Korir to probe the case because of new evidence that had emerged.
“The latest twist in the fraud case lifts the lid on a clash between DPP Noordin Haji and the new DCI boss Mohammed Amin.
“Sunday Nation has obtained confidential documents by Mr Amin informing Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary, Nixon Korir, of the probe, copied to Lands Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru, ODPP, Attorney General Justin Muturi and Chief Lands Registrar,” the article read in part.
Haji stated that his office acknowledged and respected the interdependence of the various criminal justice actors including the investigations agencies in the discharge of the Constitutional and Statutory duties.
“In this regard, it is therefore the prerogative of the DCI to receive, review, reevaluate and investigate complaints from any person with regard to the commission of any offence and submit the resultant file to the ODPP for perusal and advice,” Haji noted.
Moreover, the ODPP stated that it had as a result, constituted a team of prosecutors to review the complaints received from the parties, Advocates, and the Law Society of Kenya regarding the land and other related cases.
“Such sensational headlines foster disharmony between the two agencies, jeopardizing the independence and interdependence of actors in the criminal justice systems.
“The Office would like to implore the media and specifically Nation Newspapers to use their platform to educate and inform its audience without baseless sensational headlines,” the statement added.
The case was filed to determine the owner of the 2.5-acre piece of land which was sold by the government in 1986.
However, two parties raised concerns over the legitimate owner of the piece of land both claiming that they had documentation that identified them as owners of the Procession Way land.
Haji and former DCI boss George Kinoti fought numerous wars with some feuds playing out in the public gallery.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
