Nairobi, Aug. 4 -- Kiru Tea Factory Company Limited has asked the High Court to allow it to join a constitutional petition by Citibank Kenya, which seeks to stop police investigation into the approval and disbursement of a $2.02 million (Sh261 million) loan.

The farmers-owned company, which is managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), says it was excluded from the bank's court proceedings that halted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probe into the loan facility.

In its application to join, the company says having lodged the complaint that triggered the DCI investigation, it should be heard before the court determines whether the probe can proceed.

Citibank moved to court in June this year, maintaining that the...