EACC Counters ODPP Over Oparanya Clearance Standoff

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Chrispen

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Friday, August 2, 2024 ––Ethics and Anticorruption Commission has stood firm with his resolve to block former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya from assuming his new role in government.

The Commission, through a statement it shared on Friday August 2, distances itself from these accusations by Oparanya’s lawyer Ken Nyakundi who is also a suspect in the same case.

“The Commission distances itself from these accusations by Oparanya’s lawyer Ken Nyaundi, who is also a suspect in the case, and clarifies that while it is true that on 25th July 2024, the ODPP delivered to the Commission a letter dated 8th July 2024 withdrawing the DPP’s decision of 18th December, 2023 that had granted EACC consent to charge Oparanya, the Commission did not accept the DPP’s u-turn on the matter. Instead, the Commission wrote back to the DPP reiterating its earlier recommendation to charge all suspects, including Hon. Oparanya and his lawyer Mr. Nyakundi,” EACC stated in response to ODPP.

In the blow-by-blow response, the decision of EACC not to comply with the DPP’s directive that the file be closed and the case terminated was informed by the Commission’s detailed reasons in its response to him, including the cogent evidence on record, which the DPP had earlier found sufficient in granting consent to prosecute the suspects for conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, conflict of interest and money laundering.

“Therefore, the allegation by Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya’s Advocate and co-suspect, Ken Nyaundi, that EACC acted with malice and misled the National Assembly about the existence of a corruption case against Oparanya is false and without merit,” added a statement from the EACC.

However, in a defence letter dated 1st August, 2024 addressed to the National Assembly and widely circulated to media houses, Advocates for Hon. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, Cabinet Nominee for the Ministry of Cooperatives & MSME Development, have accused EACC of acting with malice in holding that Hon. Oparanya still has an outstanding corruption case despite the “DPP having withdrawn/ recalled his earlier approval of the EACC recommendations to prosecute the former Governor.”