The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has termed a statement released by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati regarding the arrest of three employees of the Smartmatic technology as inaccurate and misleading.
In the statement issued by Chebukati on Friday evening, the IEBC chairman stated that the three employees were released with conditions.
"Whereas the impression created by the press release is that the personnel have been released, their release was conditional as they have to appear before the OCS Anti-Terrorism Police Unit on 26th July 2022 which inevitably affects the performance of their duties," part of the statement by IEBC read.
In a rejoinder, DCI said that no officials were detained at OCS Anti Terrorism Police Unit since it was nonexistent in their structure.
"The Directorate of Criminal Investigations takes with a great exception, today’s statement dated July 22, 2022, issued by the Chairman of the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati, to the effect that three IEBC officials have been detained by ‘OCS ATPU‘.
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"The Directorate hereby clarifies that no such persons have been detained, or any other person working for IEBC anywhere in the territory of the Republic of Kenya. Further, the DCI has no such office known as OCS Anti Terrorism Police Unit’ in our structure," part of the statement by DCI read.
DCI urged the public to treat the statement by Chebukati with the contempt it deserved.
According to Chebukati's statement, the election stickers had not been released to the electoral body but were confiscated.
"The National Police Service informed the public that the stickers had been released to the Commission yet the said stickers have in fact been confiscated and retained by the OCS Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, with the implication that the Commission is now not able to seamlessly prepare for the elections.
"The National Police Service has most importantly confiscated all electronic items including mobile phones, laptops, and flash disks in the custody of the said personnel, which electronic items contain important and sensitive information relating to the forthcoming elections as well as projects undertaken by them for other countries. The said personnel were compelled to give passwords to the confiscated phones and gadgets resulting in a violation of their right to privacy," the IEBC chairman added.
