Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa
Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa is a man still under siege.
This is after it emerged that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) intends to press further charges against him pending a report by the Firearm Licensing Bureau chairman, kenyanbulletin.com has learnt.
It is reported that senior prosecution counsel Kennedy Panyako Wednesday urged Justice Ngenye Macharia to suspend an order by a lower court that ordered the release of Echesa’s two firearms and his Range Rover.
Echesa who was fired in March 201 9, gravitated fully towards Deputy President Dr William Ruto, and was caught up in a Sh40 billion fake firearms deal, which took a twist after one of the security officers at the DP’s office was killed.
Police Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei was laid to rest in march 2020, but the events surrounding his death still remains a mystery.
https://twitter.com/Kenyans/status/1234702187315564545?s=20 Echesa Raided Still in early 2020, Echesa’s house was raided by detectives from Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where his firearms and motor vehicles were confiscated.
A widow, claimed that the former illiterate CS had forcefully taken a vehicle from her.
It was then reported that Echesa had illegally acquired a Toyota Land Cruiser registration number KBZ 009J from Esther Kabura in 2016, according to an affidavit sworn by a detective from the Serious Crime Unit (SCU). Detectives from the SCU and DCI also said the former CS is suspected to have fraudulently registered five high-end vehicles. Currently In the ongoing tussle over the return of Echesa’s firearms and vehicles, the DPP said they intend to pursue further charges.
“We intend to initiate further charges in lieu of the two firearms depending on the report the chairman will submit and the charges shall be rendered futile if the said firearms are released to Echesa,” an affidavit by the DPP read.
According to the documents, the firearms were taken to the FLB chairman for verification and a report has not been received because of the inconveniences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On June 2, magistrate KennedyCheruiyot ordered the state to release Echesa’s pistols make P-Barret and Ceska CZ, one Ceska magazine and two pistol hoisters and hisRange Rover.
The DPP has since moved to the High Court seeking a suspension of those orders on grounds that the vehicle belonging to the former Minister is detained as exhibit in a criminal case
Echesa has since challenged this.