Keriako Tobiko: Mumias Sugar probe at advanced stage

Investigations into how Mumias Sugar Company (MSC) was brought to its knees by corrupt managers are at an advanced stage, Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has said.

Mr Tobiko who appeared before the Senate Committee on Legal Affairs on Thursday, said the MSC case is among the 175 made public by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his State of the Nation address two moths ago.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are investigating former top managers and directors accused of mismanaging the firm.

“I cannot pre-empt the specific outcome of the investigations. Once I receive the file, I will give a directive whether to charge,” said Tobiko.

He added:”The DCI confirmed it had not launched any investigations. EACC confirmed it had launched investigations and the matter was very active. I am now waiting for the inquiry to be completed and the file forwarded to me for prosecution.”

The DPP was responding to queries by committee chair senator Amos Wako (Busia) and deputy speaker Senator Kembi Gitura (Murang’a) who put him to task over the delayed investigations on the miller.

“The KPMG report linked former directors and senior management to the troubled sugar mill. There is a lacuna indicating when EACC commenced its investigations. Since February, it is now four months and there is not definite conclusive time frame,” Wako said.

He also assured senators that in the coming days; “I will give a directive on the finalised file of the former manager accused of stealing 3,000 bags of sugar.”