Fuel import saga: Liban, Kiptoo, Sang claim their actions were intended to avert fuel crisis

The officials, who appeared before investigators for the better part of the day, are reported to have told detectives that their actions were guided by recommendations from the National Security Council Committee.

They maintained that the decision to source fuel from an alternative region, outside the government-to-government (G-to-G) framework, was aimed at averting a potential supply crisis triggered by escalating tensions linked to the US–Iran–Israel conflict.

The probe has widened, with at least 20 persons of interest now having recorded statements, including a director of a private petroleum company. 

A day after securing their release on police bail, four senior government officials implicated in the fuel importation saga on Tuesday returned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for further questioning, as detectives sought clarification on statements they had previously recorded following their arrest on Thursday.

The officials are reported to have defended their actions, telling the detectives that they were guided by recommendations from the National Security Council Committee to source fuel from an alternative single region outside the government to government framework

The four,  former Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohammed Liban, former Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, former EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo, and former Deputy Director of Petroleum Joseph Wafula, are among a growing list of persons of interest now totaling 20.

The list also includes a director of one petroleum limited, a firm allegedly linked to the irregular shipment of 68,000 metric tonnes of sub-standard petroleum products in connection with the importation scandal, all of whom have recorded statements with investigators.

However, as of Tuesday evening, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had not preferred any charges against the individuals, and it remains unclear whether it has received investigation files from the DCI to facilitate possible prosecutions of the senior officials implicated in the case.

Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, has called for full disclosure of the amount allegedly recovered from the suspects’ residences.

"We are asking you very validly how much was recovered from the suspects, was it recorded in the inventory...what is happening?" Gachagua stated. 

The officials were dramatically arrested last Thursday, spending Easter weekend in custody before securing their release on police bail on Monday.

It is a scandal that struck the quiet of Easter like a thunderbolt from clear skies. A fog of mystery still hangs over the scam as Kenyans wait to know what really happened.