Murgor: Drug lords have infiltrated Executive and Judiciary

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9 2017

By PETER LEFTIE 

United Democratic Movement party leader Philip Murgor (left) and chairman John Koech at the party's launch in Nairobi on December 15, 2016. Mr Murgor has said drug barons had infiltrated the country’s Executive, Judiciary and security agencies. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mr Murgor said that drug dealers were dishing out millions of shillings to politicians and high ranking security and judiciary officials to buy protection.
• Mr Murgor said his efforts to have the investigation file relating to the case handed to the AG’s office were repeatedly rejected by the Criminal Investigations Department headed by Mr Joseph Kamau.
• He also said there was a scheme by top CID officers to destroy the cocaine haul without clearance from the court.

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Philip Murgor has said drug barons had infiltrated the country’s Executive, Judiciary and security agencies.

Mr Murgor, who has announced his presidential bid, said on Wednesday that drug dealers were dishing out millions of shillings to politicians and high ranking security and judiciary officials to buy protection.

In an open letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto — sent to the Daily Nation — Mr Murgor talked of how he was hounded out of office by senior officials in the Kibaki regime “due to my efforts to bring to justice the owners of the Sh6.4 billion cocaine haul”.

“The most infamous incident occurred in December 2004 while I was serving as DPP. Police received intelligence from European governments that large quantities of cocaine were in Kenya being prepared for shipment to Europe. They reluctantly seized 1.1 tonnes of high grade cocaine ... This was the largest seizure on the continent at the time,” he said.

CONDUCT SHAM INVESTIGATIONS

The UDM presidential hopeful said high ranking officers in the police and Attorney-General’s office conspired to conduct sham investigations.

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“Despite my protestations, several innocent persons were charged as part of a cover-up to provide the impression that the drug lords had been brought to book,” he said.

Mr Murgor said his efforts to have the investigation file relating to the case handed to the AG’s office were repeatedly rejected by the Criminal Investigations Department headed by Mr Joseph Kamau.

He also said there was a scheme by top CID officers to destroy the cocaine haul without clearance from the court.

“This escalated tension between interested parties and my office,” he said.

Mr Murgor added that when he realised powerful forces were determined to scuttle the case, he sought help from Internal Security assistant minister Mirugi Kariuki in May 2005.

He said Mr Kariuki failed to reach the President but instead sought the intervention of a top State House official “who was not of any help”.

He said he was instead sacked the following day.