CORD leader Raila Odinga blasts Jubilee for NYS graft

CORD co-principal Raila Odinga has said prosecuting Planning Principal Secretary Peter Mang'iti amounts to a conspiracy to defeat justice.

He said Mr Mang'iti's prosecution together with that of the National Youth Service (NYS) Director General Nelson Githinji was an attempt to cover up the graft allegations involving Sh695 million.

Raila claimed Mang'iti and Mr Githinji were only the "fall guys" to shield the "real culprits".

He challenged the Government to appoint an independent international audit firm to look into the transactions, accounts, tender procurement and payment by NYS since April 2013 and assign responsibility.

The firm, Raila said, would follow the money trail to unearth the real beneficiaries, with its report made public and submitted simultaneously to both the President and Parliament.

"If the Government doesn't do this, that is evidence that this is all a cover up," Raila said yesterday in a statement released from London where he is on a visit.

He added: "The plot is way much thicker than we are being told. The script being played out is exactly the same as the one that was played out in the Anglo-Leasing scandal. It starts with denial, then claims that no money was lost, then with the return of the money and finally in the taking down of a few fall guys."

Raila said he was not surprised with the latest turn of events in the corruption saga at the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.

"The twists and turns have all been attempts at ensuring that those who bear the real and greatest responsibility for the loss of taxpayers money at NYS are not brought to account for their criminal actions," he added.

He added: "Those attempts having failed, and with revelations pointing in the direction of real culprits, it has become necessary for fall guys to be quickly identified and taken down to save the actual thieves. This latest move is a cover up and conspiracy against the law and the tax payers."

Raila reminded President Uhuru Kenyatta of a resolution passed by the Cabinet on December 2, 2014 that gave Cabinet secretaries a bigger mandate.

"The roles of Cabinet secretaries have been widened. They now have greater oversight in sanctioning procurement in their ministries and the Government agencies under them, formerly a preserve of principal secretaries. They approve work, procurement and cash flow plans," said Raila.

"The Government must stop taking Kenyans for fools. We refuse to accept that the NYS saga has now been settled," he said.