Sunday, October 20, 2013
The military is studying the footage obtained from the Westgate
Mall to establish the identity of the soldiers captured carrying items
from the Nakumatt supermarket, the Sunday Nation has learnt.
It
is understood that officers from the Directorate of Military
Intelligence are expected to summon the personnel identified on Monday.
At
the same time, other reports indicated that a board of inquiry has been
established and is also carrying out investigations into the now
widespread allegations that there was looting at the mall.
On Friday, reporters obtained footage showing relaxed soldiers leaving Nakumatt Supermarket carrying white paper bags.
While
the contents of the bags were not visible, the soldiers’ actions, such
as repeatedly entering a cubicle on the left of the entrance thought to
be a phone or M-Pesa outlet, have raised questions about their conduct
in the mall.
A source told the Sunday Nation that a
board of inquiry is usually set up whenever anything untoward happens,
and that this one has been interviewing those involved and taking down
statements.
The board is expected to make
observations, form an opinion on each case and then make recommendations
on what action should be taken.
A
fortnight ago, the Defence Secretary Raychelle Omamo warned that any
soldier found culpable would face justice, saying that the KDF
operational training and doctrine did not condone any unprofessional
conduct.
She appealed to members of the public with information confirming allegations that KDF looted to share the evidence.
Ms Omamo further assured the protection of any witness saying that the information would be treated with absolute confidence.
Contacted, Colonel Cyrus Oguna, one of the military’s spokesmen, was tight-lipped.
“Let
me just say, for now, that the issue is before Parliament and it will
be discussed in Parliament on Tuesday and thereafter I’m sure we’ll have
a comprehensive statement issued by KDF. I would not like to discuss
anything now about that. I don’t want to pre-empt anything right now,”
he said.
Military personnel from the Langata-based 7
KR and the 75 Artillery Battalion based in Embakasi and the Moi Airbase
were involved in the rescue bid.
They were reinforced by colleagues from Gilgil: the 20 Para Battalion, the 30 Rangers Strike Force and the 20 Special Forces.
Given
that the individual units deployed to Westgate were known, and the
military has a strict chain of command, it would be possible for them
to establish the officers and soldiers deployed.
In
Mombasa on Saturday, Internal Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku
declined to answer questions on the Westgate terrorist attack, saying he
did not want to jeopardise the ongoing forensic investigations into the
matter.
Mr Lenku was on a two-day security visit.