Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday dismissed claims that he's under probe by Director of Criminal Investigations over alleged car tax evasion.
In an article published by the Standard Group, Mr Odinga is alleged to be among those being sought by the DCI over registration of a Range Rover KCS 002D.
On July 31st this year, the DCI, through the officer in charge of Kenya Revenue Authority, issued a signal to all police stations in the country to impound the cars.
“A list of the attached vehicles are circulated in order to have them traced and detailed. The motor vehicles are suspected to have been fraudulently registered and they’re therefore unaccustomed since taxes in their regard have not been paid,” Peter Kiboro, the DCI KRA unit said.
But through A. T Oluoch & Co. Advocates, the former Prime Minister denied owning the said vehicle, adding that the article was meant to injure his reputation.
Mr Odinga further termed the article as “baseless, unjustified and deliberately slanted to inflict the greatest harm, damage, injury, embarrassment, ridicule, contempt and hatred” on him.
And the AU High Representative for Infrastructural Development now wants the Standard Group to admit that the article was erroneous, retract and publish a written apology in seven days.
Failure to do that, advocate Antony Oluoch, the Mathare MP adds, the former Prime Minister will move to court and sue Kenya's oldest media house for defamation.
Known for his good relationship with the media, Mr Odinga has lately questioned the credibility of some stories which cover his personal or political maneuvers.
Recently, he dismissed an article published by the Nation over his plans to run for presidency in 2022, terming is malicious and diversionary.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Wednesday faulted the Standard Group over the article, arguing that they failed to establish in the content that the vehicle belongs to Odinga.
"You say it's not clear it's his car... Then in the very next paragraph you call it his car!! This is absolute rubbish "journalism" by Geoffrey Mosoku and Cyrus Ombati of @StandardKenya. Headline hunting at its best.Takataka," he protested.