A report by a commission of inquiry into the helicopter crash that killed Internal Security minister
George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojode has called for the prosecution of of those involved in the purchase of the police chopper. The helicopter crashed in Ngong forest on June 2012 in Ngong forest.
According to a report, the helicopter was acquired unprocedurally, a report has revealed and accuses the Kenya Police Air Wing disregarding the procurement procedures stipulated in the Procurement Act.
The commission has recommended that a comprehensive independent audit of procurement process be carried out “with a view of prosecuting those found to have violated the law.”
Those who were involved in the procurement include KPAW commandant Col. Rogers Mbithi. The commission has faulted KPAW for using restricted tendering in which only two firms tendered. Eurocopter of South Africa tendered at Sh272 million while Africair Inc
quoted Sh315 million.
The commission has said the Restricted Tendering provisions which the police used only allows a purchase of between Sh1 million and Sh20 million.
“The Police Department had a very casual approach to the whole procurement process of the aircraft as variations to their own specifications were accepted without due process,” the report said. Justice Kalpana Rawal led commission.
The helicopter was shipped into the country in December 2011 only to crash seven months later. The commission has said it received evidence that the chopper did not have wipers at the time of purchase.
The report says commission also received evidence that after the Kenyan inspected the aircraft in South Africa and signed all the necessary documents on November 30, 2012, Eurocopter removed 11 parts from the chopper and replaced them with others.
The commission said part of parts fitted were not supposed to be installed in an in service aircraft. “This is illegal and in contravention of the Civil Aviation (Airworthiness) Regulations,” the report states.
KPAW Chief Engineer Johnson Githatu told the commission that he would not have allowed the aircraft be delivered if he was aware of the replacements.