MPs: Reinstate charges on Charterhouse whistleblower

A section of MPs want charges preferred against a whistleblower on the Charterhouse Bank saga reinstated.

The MPs wondered why Mr Peter Odhiambo was set free even after he was charged with forgery by the Central Bank of Kenya Banking Fraud Investigations Department.

But Internal Security Assistant minister Alfred Khangati said Mr Odhiambo was not found guilty as there was neither evidence against him nor witnesses in the case.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said the investigations might have been bungled and called on the State to reinstate the charges.

“It seems the investigations were shoddy. So can the minister agree to reinstate the charges against him?” posed Midiwo.

Khangati said the police arrested the whistleblower on December 8, 1999 for presenting forged employment letters to the US Embassy when he went for Visa application.

The papers claimed he was an employee of Barclays Bank of Kenya.

Kilome MP Harun Mwau claimed Odhiambo might have been connected to the US government since he was later accorded asylum by them after lifting the lid on claims of money laundering and tax evasion at Charterhouse Bank.

accused of forgery

But the minister said he could not confirm the relationship between Odhiambo and the US government. After the charges were dropped against him, Odhiambo was later employed by the Central Bank and MPs raised questions why he was employed by the same institution that accused him of forgery.

The bank was placed under statutory management in 2006 on claims of money laundering and tax evasion but Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Trade and Planning cleared it of the allegations and ordered its re-opening.

It has since not been re-opened and some legislators are furious accusing CBK Governor Prof Njuguna Ndung’u of disobeying Parliament’s resolution.

Stories by Peter Opiyo and Moses Njagih