Netted man in Kenya may have stolen huge sums from the country: Is he a billion thief?
Posted by African Press International on April 28, 2010
The man is Devani, Interpol insists
By Cyrus Ombati and David Ohito
“It is Yagnesh Devani in custody we have no doubt the biometric results and CCTV and passports have proved it,” was the message from Interpol even as Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and Mr Devanis lawyer insist he is not the one.
A senior Interpol official who asked for anonymity said they had been on Devanis trail before they alerted Kenyan authorities of his arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“Maybe they know better why and how they found out he is not the one. But I can tell you we were on his trail,” said the official.
The suspect is still being held at a city police station as authorities wait for the results of his biometrics (identification by physical characteristics) from experts today.
Kenya Anti-Corruptoin Commission (KACC) officials grilled the suspect for several hours on Saturday in their offices at Integrity Centre.
Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere says the man they arrested on Friday was not Devani. He said the arrested “suspect” was Devanis nephew with whom they share names.
But our sources said Devani had arrived at the Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates aboard a private plane before he headed for Kenya.
Devani had earlier in the week left London and flown to India where he chartered a plane to Sharjah. From Sharjah he boarded a Saudi Arabian airliner that was destined for JKIA.
Immigration officials who had also been supplied with Devanis data, which is shared globally, said they believe the right man was arrested.
The officials added that Devani presented a Kenyan passport at the JKIA, which had similar details with the one he used when he left in 2007.
Showed positive
They said the businessman has up to seven passports but all have some of his details, an issue his lawyer denies.
“There are some biometrics that none can alter on ones body. We checked in our system and it showed positive. The iris on his eye is identical and we have the airport CCTV,” said another official.
Devani was handed over to the police and Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission detectives who were waiting for him at JKIA after being tipped off by Interpol.
The sources said he presented his Kenyan passport at the airport but in panic went to the foreigners queue. He was the last person to be cleared. “It is a very sensitive case and he cannot escape unlawfully from police custody,” a senior Police officer said.
Devani is wanted over the Sh8 billion oil scandal that also roped in the names of many politicians in the country when it broke out last year.
Witnesses said the CID and KACC officials seemed to be aware he was landing before they detained him at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport briefly.
“They even went to the runway to wait for him knowing they had big catch. May be something changed somewhere,” said a witness.
His plane touched down at JKIA shortly before 1pm to a waiting troop of security officers who thoroughly scrutinised all the alighting passengers before they arrived at Devani.
Nairobi lawyer Katwa Kigen too denied the man was his client.
Kigen claimed he had been in touch with Devani who was equally surprised by the news that a look-alike had been arrested.
source.standard.ke
