Deputy President William Ruto has come to the defense of embattled Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua – in police custody over Sh 12b corruption allegations – describing his arrest as politically instigated.
In an attack on the government that he is part of, Ruto claimed that Gachagua was being persecuted on account of his friendship (with Ruto) and political beliefs – describing the charges as trumped up.
“This persecution on account of our friendship and political beliefs will come to an end. They have connections, networks, pedigree and godfathers but we have God our father,” he said in the statement.
He said they knew that trumped up charges against Gachagua were coming, urging him to remain strong.
Gachagua was arrested over corruption allegations on Monday morning at his Mathira home and transferred to Nairobi where he will be spending the weekend in cells awaiting arraignment in court on Monday.
Detectives have been piecing together details of how Gachagua registered 49 companies which he used to trade with various government agencies in an intricate web that saw him win tenders worth more than Sh12 billion.
In what detectives now claim to be “a well-knit complex scheme of money laundering”, Gachagua opened at least 33 bank accounts through which payments were made and sometimes money hastily withdrawn.
Some of the companies that received hundreds of millions of shillings from the government, were either owned by Gachagua himself and his family members, his close friends and relatives or proxies.
In a statement issued after the early morning arrest at his Mathira home, the embattled MP who was ejected out of Karatina town the previous evening by angry residents, blamed Jubilee saying the party was bitter for the loss of the Kiambaa seat.
“I am happy it is finally over. It has been two years of hell; being arrested and released, writing countless statements, being prosecuted in the media, intimidation and harassment to me and my family,” said Gachagua.
He said his support for the Deputy President William Ruto remains steadfast.
He said he now has a chance to be vindicated in a court of law as the courts are independent, warning his so-called “tormentors and persecutors” that they have only one year remaining.
He said Kenya will have a new democratic Government that does not use the criminal justice system to manage politics.
