ODM leader Raila Odinga was smart enough to detect a voice purportedly of Dr Fred Matiang'i in an attempt to have him dragged to fake gold scandal that saw a Dubai Royal family losing close to Sh400 million.
A Kenyan businessman, in an attempt to dupe Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, staged a phone conversation with a man presumed to be Dr Matiang'i, whom he was purportedly pleading with to have a gold 'consignment' released from JKIA.
The businessman had sought for Raila Odinga's intervention, who was at the time in Dubai. But with Matiang'i's voice being familiar with Mr Odinga, he was quick to notice that the businessman was trying to con his clients by using a fake Matiang'i.
“He put the phone on a loud speaker and when Raila heard the voice of the other party, he intervened and declared it was not the CS. This ended the conversation,” said an official aware of the issue.
Aware of possible diplomatic fallout, Mr Odinga is said to have shared the matter with President Uhuru Kenyatta in April, long before the scandal was made public. Last month, the two met the Sheikh over the matter.
Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has already absolved Uhuru, Raila and Matiang'i from the scam, saying that the perpetrators used their names for selfish gains.
"Having realised that they were conned on the availability of the gold, and the misleading knowledge and involvement of the President, the former Prime Minister and CS Matiang’i, they resolved to [file] a report [with] Kenyan authorities and cooperate with law enforcement in unearthing the under-dealings," he stated.
Already, top detective George Kinoti has indicated that Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula will be grilled in connection with the scam. A leaked audio purportedly of him and a member of Dubai Royal family, exposes him as part of the cartels.
“He is a person of interest, and we shall be interrogating him and all others mentioned to determine their degree of involvement,” Mr Kinoti said.