NAIROBI, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Thursday launched legal guidelines to assist in the fight against international crime.
Githu Muigai, outgoing Attorney General, said the blueprint dubbed "Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) in Criminal Matters," is a positive step in strengthening the East African nation's cooperation with international partners in the field of crime.
"The mutual legal assistance will be used by law enforcement agencies during investigations, prosecutions, judicial proceedings, consultations and service of overseas processes," Muigai said.
He added that the document will also be used in freezing and confiscating property acquired from proceeds of crime.
The document, which was put together with assistance from the British government, is intended to provide essential basic information on the country's mutual legal assistance program and will seek to improve the efficiency of processing of mutual legal assistance requests to Kenya.
Muigai said Kenya will now be in a position to provide mutual legal assistance to any country or territory in the world whether or not the country has signed treaties and agreements with such states.
He said the scandal in which officials of British printing company Smith and Ouzman got convicted for paying out bribes to Kenyan electoral and examinations officers was as a result of mutual legal assistance between the two governments.
According to the document, a letter of request from a foreign government must specify the nature of the criminal matter, the assistance required and details of any particular procedure to be followed in order for the application to be complied with.
British High Commissioner to Kenya, Nic Hailey, said the fact that Kenya is the first country in the region to endorse the MLA is testimony of its strength and willingness to tackle corruption.
"We will help to bring more people to justice, the bad guys don't play by the rules but governments do play by the rules," the envoy commented.
Muthoni Kimani, the director of Asset Recovery Agency, said Kenya is sending out a message that the country is not a safe haven for hiding ill-gotten assets, and that the nation is alive to its obligations.
"Requesting states can now make their applications with ease so long as the procedure is not contrary to Kenyan law. Failure to do so will mean that the service will be effected according to Kenyan law," Kimani noted.
