{UAH} How police absolved Joho, and gave him the power to govern
|
7:51 AM |
No comments |
How police absolved Joho, and gave him the power to govern
- Probe was misguided from the beginning as the police were reacting to MPs’ pressure to whitewash the US embassy dossier that named drug lords
ALI HASSAN JOHO
Five years ago, Kisauni MP Ali Hassan Joho was a little known 35-year-old man going about his business in his coastal homeland, Mombasa. Fascinatingly, his elder brother, Abubakar Ali Joho, was then better known owing to the business contacts he had made in and out of the country through his import-export business.
However, since 2007, the younger Joho has become a household name in Mombasa and the nation over his alleged connections with drug traffickers. According to former US ambassador Michael Ranneberger, the ODM legislator was persuaded by his elder brother to join politics in order to further the businessman’s underhand dealings.
In the much-publicised report by the US, which was handed over to the Kenya Government, Abubakar was profiled as a racketeer who profited by diverting Rwanda-bound vehicles into the local market.
The report indicated that the elder Joho had started importation of cars in the 1990s. However, when Rwanda erupted in violence, which saw hundreds of thousands killed in 1994, the chaos presented Joho with an opportunity to profiteer by selling vehicles destined for the troubled country in the Kenyan market. In any case, most Rwandese car owners had been killed: there was no one to oppose the diversion.
Having enriched himself, the businessman now diversified his trade to include garbage collection, transport, real estate and construction. The elder Joho is also alleged to have been operating a syndicate where high grade cocaine and other hard narcotics were stashed in the tyres of imported cars and later removed for repackaging and distribution.
According to some reports, the senior Joho roped in a Nakuru-based officer affiliated with the Anti-Narcotics Unit, and had the officer’s hardware store used to store drugs.
Ranneberger indicated that the racket was widespread, and included an Israeli communication and agricultural company whose workers had uninhibited access to police as they supplied equipment to the General Service Unit.
Reportedly, a worker at the Israeli company, after smuggling in drugs, repackaged and exported them to the European market, happy in the knowledge the police would not inspect luggage emanating from the company.
The report indicated that another suspected drug baron, Ali Punjani, was retained by the Israeli company to clear its cargo. Often, this officer stored drugs at his stores in Nairobi and later distributed them locally—disguised as sugar from Western Kenya.
Joho and his brother have also been linked to dealings involving vehicles stolen from Europe. On September 10, 2010, the brothers apparently imported a large consignment of vehicles that were stashed with drugs. The vehicles were allegedly stored in Mkomani.
During parliamentary debates touching on the drugs trade at the Coast, it emerged that the cartel, which included the MP, was smuggling at least one container of drugs per week through the Kilindini harbour.
The US claimed that Joho became a major drug lord after he was elected MP in 2007, allegations that were bolstered by the arrest of his key allies in connection with drugs trafficking.
Swalleh Kandereni, Billy Mahadi and Swalleh Ahmed were arrested in Mombasa in March 2010 in connection with the sale of narcotics. Kandereni and Daniel Emeka, who were Joho’s chief campaigners during the 2007 elections, were ostensibly in charge of the narcotic trade in the Malindi area.
After their arrest, there were reports that Joho gave out Sh1 million on March 19, 2010, to bribe the magistrate hearing the case, in hopes that the magistrate would release the suspects. The magistrate, however, declined and consequently remanded the suspects at Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison, pending hearing of their case.
It was during this period that MP Joho’s house was raided but no drugs were recovered. The police only recovered a G3 rifle.
When the report was handed to the Government, the Commissioner of Police was directed to conduct independent investigations to ascertain the involvement in drug trade of Joho and three others.
The investigating team, comprising 11 officers led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Alfred K Obada, made startling but disappointing findings when it finally released its report on February 1, 2011.
When Joho appeared before the police officers, he vehemently denied involvement in narcotics trade and defended his family from allegations of drug trafficking, claiming these were malicious charges aimed at ruining his political career.
He further denied involvement in corruption, murder, tax evasion and land grabbing, and instead charged that his accusers were being used by his brother’s business rivals to tarnish his reputation.
Joho claimed he was being targeted because of his declaration that he intended to vie for the seat of Governor, Mombasa.
The police officers said they had tried to obtain evidence to support the accusations levelled against Joho but in vain. Arguably, the police probe was misguided from the beginning as it was neither sincere nor self-initiated. The police were merely reacting to MPs’ pressure to whitewash the US embassy dossier that had named drug lords.
Curiously, although Joho was involved in business, when the police sought the help of Kenya Revenue Authority they found no record or transaction linked to the MP’s Pin number.
Later, a witness who had testified against Joho renounced his testament, claiming he had been offered Sh100,000 to frame the MP. He wrote a detailed statement with the police withdrawing his previous allegations
Strange still, the MP, known for driving luxurious cars, had no single asset registered in his name: no business transaction could be traced to him. This, the police concluded, was proof of Joho’s innocence.
The police, however, established that Joho’s brother had several businesses registered in his name, including M-Tech Building Works, Prima Bins and Pests Company limited, Portside Freight Terminal Limited, and Portside Transport Company Limited.
The police admitted that despite writing letters to KRA and the Registrar of Companies regarding Joho’s business dealings, they did not receive any response.
Absolved by the police report, the Kisauni MP is poised to be the next governor of Mombasa. The person who wins the seat of Coast governor will have easy access to ports and airports in the region.
0 comments:
Post a Comment