Echesa Charged With 12 Counts in Military Scandal

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa was on Monday, February 17, charged in connection with a plan to defraud a polish firm of Ksh39 billion in a fake military arms deal.

Appearing at the Milimani Law Courts, the former CS, alongside other suspects, was charged with 12 counts of fraud, according to a report by KTN News.

This, the magistrate explained, included an alleged attempt to make a document with intent to defraud Polish military dealers.

Echesa and three co-accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges with the court taking a brief recess at the time of publication before resuming for the bail hearing. 

Echesa also denied claims that he had impersonated Deputy President William Ruto in an alleged pursuit to close the controversial deal.

The former CS was arraigned in court alongside Daniel Otieno Omondi alias General Juma, Mr. Clifford Okoth Onyango alias Paul and Mr. Kennedy Oyoo Mboya.

The prosecutor sought to have the suspects detained for 21 days arguing that if released, the team was highly likely to interfere with the case which was considered weighty.

On Friday, February 14, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probed the DP’s office in a secret affair reported to have unearthed documents related to the Ksh39 billion military tender scandal and the CCTV footage. The meeting reportedly took place inside Ruto’s office.

The sleuths, on Saturday, February 15, proceeded to raid Echesa’s houses where they recovered several guns and documents.

They recovered a rifle, Ceska and Berreta pistols owned by the politician and 104 rounds of ammunition. The search was extended to the homes of three other suspects who had been arrested alongside the politician.