Salim Swaleh, Director of Press at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, and others were arraigned at the Milimani law court yesterday to face charges of obtaining money by false pretenses and abuse of office.
The prosecution requested the suspects, who were arrested on Sunday, be detained for at least 14 days to allow for the completion of investigations.
The miscellaneous application stated that the complainants are foreigners from Dubai and South Africa, who were allegedly lured into the country with the promise of securing a tender to construct two stadiums for the upcoming AFCON 2027 games.
The complainants were allegedly defrauded of over Kes.5 million as a registration fee.
“The complainants were made to believe that after the meeting at the Prime CS office, they would meet the government officials from the Ministry of Sports, Interior and Youth Affairs, two Senators from the Budget Committee of Parliament and Sports committee with an aim of security the tender of building the two stadia,” the court was told.
It is also alleged that upon entering the office, Swaleh facilitated a meeting between the other respondents and the foreigners, where the first suspect impersonated the chairman of the Government Delivery Unit, claiming he would help expedite the tendering process.
Investigators said they need additional time to record statements and verify details from relevant offices in the UAE and the company’s registration.
They argue that the accused are likely to interfere with the investigation if released, emphasizing the complexity of the case due to the involvement of foreign nationals.
