Nairobi — Acting Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Hamisi Massa has denied criticizing Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s stance on the agency’s operations.
Massa’s statement was in reference to an article on a local daily that cited him swearing not to loosen the belt while executing their mandate including investigations of crimes.
According to the agency, at no point did Massa mention or refer to the second in command or any other government official in his remarks saying the daily’s headline “presents a misreported and uncredited position.”
“The DCI’s attention is drawn to the headline of one of the daily newspapers insinuating that the Ag Director DCI has told off the DP over investigation style. We clarify that the purported sentiments referring to the DP were not obtained from the Ag Director, neither are they his position,” the DCI said in a statement Wednesday.
The DCI statement came hours after the Auditor General convened a meeting involving various heads of government institutions including the DCI Director to deliberate on the implementation mechanisms of parliamentary recommendations on Auditor General’s report.
The country’s investigative arm went on to say that in making his remarks, the DCI boss clarified the role of the agency in implementing the recommendations on criminal investigations to be more focused to serve as a deterrence.
“The Ag. Director asserted that, as a professional body with a crucial mandate in the criminal justice system, the DCI investigate serious crime that have far reaching implication within the country and where the crimes are transnational in nature,” the DCI stated.
“That the investigative techniques are intended to secure the credibility of evidence while maintaining the dignity of all involved,” it added.
The DCI statement comes at a time when the inner workings of the investigative agency have been brought into sharp focus by the government of the day which has vowed to streamline how it conducts its operations.
Two days ago, DP Gachagua said the country is looking forward to having a professional DCI office devoid of drama and politics.
Gachagua said that the DCI should conduct its investigations away from the full glare of the media and the public.
Speaking to Citizen TV Sunday, the Deputy President said that it was time to overhaul the way the investigative agency operates.
“We are looking for a professional DCI. Why the DCI officers are in civilian clothes is because they are supposed to be discreet so that they can carry out investigations in a discreet manner,” Gachagua said.
The Deputy President spoke out against disclosing details of any investigations to the public before they are finalized.
“We want a professional DCI, who will not spend time on drama, who will not spend time on the press, who will investigate cases properly, get evidence and take people to court and get a conviction, and the details of investigations should be known by the press from the charge sheet when it is complete and finalized,” he said.
The second in command further said that the Country wants the Inspector General of Police to take charge of everything that involves security.