ODM alarmed over alleged order of Chinese arms
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=116357
Story by PATRICK NZIOKA
Publication Date: 2/8/2008
The Orange Democratic Movement has expressed concern that the Government has placed a tender with a Chinese company for the supply of an unspecified number of firearms, ammunition and spares, saying the timing was not right.
The party’s secretary general Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o alleged that some of the firearms might fall in the wrong hands and be used to kill Kenyans engaged in protests over the disputed presidential poll.
Copies of correspondence
Prof Nyong’o distributed copies of what he called correspondence between the Provincial Administration Permanent Secretary, Mr Cyrus Gituai, and the Chinese firm, Catic International Engineering Company, over the alleged tender.
In the letter dated January 23, Mr Gituai asks the company to issue a bank guarantee for the supply of the firearms, ammunition and spares through the Kenya Commercial Bank who were in turn expected to forward it to the Central Bank of Kenya.
Catic company director of trading, Mr Zhao Shoutang, replied on the same day asking for the KCB account details to enable the firm issue the guarantee through the Bank of China.
Mr Shoutang further informs Mr Gituai of a change in the company’s bank account information now held at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The two letters do not however give details regarding the tender.
When we contacted the Office of the President, Mr Gituai was said to be in a meeting while the Government spokesman, Dr Alfred Mutua, was said to be out of office until Monday.
Department of Defence spokesman Bogita Bwongeri said he was out of office and could only respond to the issue Friday after consulting.
Company’s account
Prof Nyong’o said he feared the whole deal smacked of another Anglo-Leasing, saying he did not understand why the Chinese company’s account was in Abu Dhabi and not in Beijing where the company is located.
“The correspondence smells of another Anglo-Leasing scam where banks sent details of their accounts only for it to be realised later that the cheques paid had gone to fictitious outfits,” Prof Nyong’o said.
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