Parliament probe into 'UK dossier' hits another snag

By David Ochami

Investigation into the so called UK-ICC dossier ran into new problems when Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere sought two weeks to probe documents tabled in Parliament by Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo and Dujis MP Aden Duale.

The police commissioner alleges he has not seen the documents that were tabled on March 8, which are actually public records that can be received on demand from Room 8 of Parliament.

On Monday, Cabinet ministers including Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and immediate former former Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula failed to turn up.

Yesterday Iteere told the MPs he had neither received the alleged memos ‘officially’ nor sought statements from officials named in the papers. The documents in question allege a conspiracy by the UK to detain international crimes suspects Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto and investigate President Kibaki over the 2007/2008 post-election violence.

"I request two weeks," Iteere told the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Wajir West MP Adan Keynan.

No exhibit

The officer said the National Security Advisory Committee, where he sits, informally discussed the dossier on March 22 without arriving at the any decision. According to Iteere, the committee appreciated that this was a "serious and sensitive matter."

"I can’t open an investigation without an exhibit," Iteere said and added that he has written a letter to Parliament seeking a copy of the papers.

Iteere was asked to return to Parliament on April 10 with a comprehensive report addressing all questions raised by the documents, including whether the papers are forgeries.

Besides Kilonzo and Duale, the committee is expected to question other MPs and journalists believed to have constituted a complex web of conspirators involved in this matter.

On Monday, the cabinet sub-committee on the ICC, which had been invited to testify, failed to do so. Saitoti, the only member who turned up refused to testify saying he could not speak for the rest.

Wetangula who was Foreign Affairs minister till Monday and also sat in committee failed to testify because he was meeting British Minister Henry Bellingham over the same matter.