NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 5 – The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has intensified investigations into the suspected irregular procurement of an emergency fuel cargo by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, summoning senior government officials and private sector executives as the probe gathers momentum.In a statement, the agency said it has recorded statements from key witnesses and persons of interest, including top officials in government and executives linked to One Petroleum Limited, the firm at the centre of the controversial importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).Investigators have also summoned executives from Oryx Energy Limited to assist with ongoing inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the fuel deal, which is now under scrutiny over possible breaches of procurement procedures.The DCI revealed it is working closely with both local and international investigative bodies to piece together the full scope of the transaction. The cross-border nature of the probe has seen the agency invoke the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) framework to obtain critical information from foreign jurisdictions.According to the agency, the investigations are being handled with urgency, and once complete, the case file will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further action.The DCI cautioned that individuals linked to the matter cannot evade accountability through resignation or exit from public office, warning that all those found culpable will face the full force of the law regardless of their status.“The Directorate wishes to inform the public that resignation from office does not in any way exonerate or absolve suspects from criminal culpability,” the statement read.Petroleum Principal Secretary Mohamed Liban, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo hresigned following allegations of manipulating national fuel stock data to trigger an artificial sense of shortage.Chief of Staff Felix Koskei said preliminary findings indicate that the officials are suspected of falsifying in-country fuel stock levels, allegedly creating panic and an impression of an impending fuel supply crisis.According to Koskei, the manipulated data was used to justify emergency fuel procurement outside the established Government-to-Government (G2G) framework, leading to a shipment that was allegedly overpriced and of substandard quality.“The emergency shipment was procured in blatant breach of the G2G framework, in complete disregard of established emergency procurement procedures,” Koskei stated.The alleged scheme reportedly took advantage of rising global oil prices and heightened public concern, influencing urgent procurement decisions that bypassed normal accountability safeguards.Investigations into the matter are ongoing, with authorities expected to review procurement processes, fuel import documentation, and internal data reporting systems across key energy agencies.The developments come in the wake of a broader crackdown within the energy sector, which saw several senior officials arrested in an early morning operation on April 3.The three who have resigned and Deputy Director of Petroleum Joseph Wafula were taken to DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road for questioning, although Liban Mohamed was later released after reportedly developing medical complications.Investigators are probing the alleged diversion of a 60,000-metric-tonne fuel consignment that was initially destined for Angola but instead rerouted to the Port of Mombasa under unclear circumstances.The shipment, carried aboard the vessel MV Paloma, is believed to have docked in Mombasa between March 27 and March 29, 2026.Detectives suspect the cargo may have entered the Kenyan market outside the established government-to-government oil importation framework.Preliminary findings indicate that the fuel originated from Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco before being sold to another international firm and allegedly redirected through a local Kenyan importer.