PDP Haji apologizes for misleading report on his trip to Italy

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, requests an apology from a local daily for a publication published on Monday in which he discovered, during his trip to Italy, the companies of proxy belonging to four secretaries of cabinet who maintained commercial relations with the state.

In the article, the PDP stated that the author alleged that he was accompanied by members of the multi-agency team (MAT), composed of the Ethics Commission and the Anti-Corruption (EACC), the Attorney General (AG), the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Asset Recovery Authority. has visited Italy and discovered companies that the secretaries of cabinet have used abroad to benefit from tender offers worth several billion shillings.

Haji, in a letter, said that none of the members of the multi-agency team named in the publication had joined him in Italy during the trip.

"In this regard, it is utterly unprofessional for a mainstream media house to propagate such a story without requesting an official comment from the ODPP and even more so when the media house attributes the information to undisclosed sources," he said. he declared.

He badured the public that he was not aware of the alleged information and that the article was therefore totally false.

"The ODPP has a clear public communication policy that guides communication with the public and other stakeholders and any information from us can not be divulged clandestinely, as the article suggests. I have noted with great concern that there is an emerging trend to divulge misleading information to the public and to attribute it to public officials. It must stop, "he added.

The PDP stated that even though investigations were being conducted on some projects run by relief companies, such misrepresentations amount to encroaching on the rights of innocent people until they are found guilty.

"For the record, the DPP may from time to time conduct the investigations provided for by law on the ODPP, such a mission is strictly undertaken in accordance with the law and in the strictest confidence. Once the investigations are completed and the file is officially forwarded to my office, it is examined in an independent and objective manner. In this particular case, the investigations are ongoing and once the file is complete and the instructions are transmitted, the DPP must communicate its decision. He noted.

"While we highly value the crucial role of the media in the fight against corruption, crime and public information, they must, as we all must, act responsibly and seek to provide factual information to all. moment." highlighted.

Tell us what you think