Boost for DPP Haji in Anti-Corruption War as Kenya, Qatar Ink Cross-border Deal

The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has received a shot in the arm in the ongoing anti-graft purge after Kenya and Qatar signed a deal to strengthen the fight against cross-border crime and corruption.

Haji signed the agreement for capacity building on Wednesday with the Qatar Attorney General and Chairman of Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center (ROLACC) Dr Ali Bin Fetais Al Marri.

Also present in the meeting were Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, Ethics and Anti-Corruption (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak, among others.

Haji noted that cooperation with non-traditional partners was necessary in fighting transnational crimes in view of the increasingly interconnected, independent world.

“The cooperation will stimulate and enhance the collaboration between our competent authorities and improve the coordination of their investigations and prosecutions, in relation to serious organised cross-border crime and corruption,” he said.

Haji said this partnership is expected to improve relations between counterparts and create new areas for synergies particularly in the area of mutual legal assistance, anti-corruption, transnational organised crime and capacity building for prosecutors.

Qatar, in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), hosts one of the best anti-corruption training institutes in the world, the ROLACC in Doha.

The Public Prosecutions office in Qatar has been globally recognized and awarded for developing the world’s best document tracking system in the world.

Haji said the cooperation would help Kenya target organised crime groups that are active transnationally and cause a major threat to security of our countries.

“This agreement will also foster prosecution and strategic cooperation as it will unlock the possibility to swiftly and safely exchange information and evidence between the two nations,” he said.

The two nations will boost cooperation in capacity building activities like mentorships, exchange programmes, special projects, technical assistance to promote and facilitate capacity building, the sharing of best practices on policies and procedures, and the exchange of experts, information and technology.

It will also work to provide the appropriate financial and in kind resources for cooperation and capacity building activities conducted under it, subject to availability of resources and the comparative capabilities that are envisaged to achieve its goals.

The Qatar-Kenya partnership will also see the establishment of the Prosecution Training Institute in Loresho, Nairobi.