Officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission-EACC have arrested a National Police Service (NPS) Deputy OCS and a Police Constable (PC) from Kiambu County over allegations of extorting money from the public.
The EACC arrested the Deputy OCS for Ikino Police station Kiambu county alongside his accomplice, Police Constable Elizabeth Mwongeli Muthoka on Monday.
According to the anti-graft body, the suspects are accused of soliciting bribes from members of the public.
Further, EACC in statement explained that Police Inspector George Chacha and PC Elizabeth Mwongeli Muthoka were arrested after receiving the bribe from the complainant who had reported the matter to EACC after the pair refused to release the vehicle.
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It was reported that the two solicited Ksh.50,000 as bribe to “facilitate” the release of a vehicle impounded at Ikino Police Station in Kiambu County.
“The two suspects allegedly demanded Ksh50,000 from a complainant as a “motivation fee” for the Deputy OCS to release the complainant’s motor vehicle,” EACC said in a statement.
In addition, the commission claimed that the Deputy OCS had adamantly refused to release the motor vehicle despite a valid court order presented to him by the complainant.
“The two were apprehended on Monday after receiving the demanded amount from the complainant at a Kiambu Police Station,” the commission said.
Similarly, the commission noted that the two suspects were processed at Integrity Centre Police Station and later Kilimani Police Station pending further enforcement actions.
EACC War on Graft
What’s more, this is not the first time that EACC is going after police officers for demanding bribes to serve Kenyans.
In July 2023, detectives from the Integrity Centre nabbed the Officer-in-Charge of Zimmerman Police Post in Kasarani Division on bribery allegations.
Also, the agency said the Police Inspector was to be charged with two counts of soliciting and receiving a bribe from the complainant to facilitate the release of his pregnant girlfriend.
“The Court granted an application by the suspect’s Advocate to defer the plea for 2 weeks. Counsel informed the Court that when the suspect left EACC on Thursday evening, she fell ill at night and was subsequently hospitalized hence unable to appear in Court,” read part of a statement from the Commission.
Chicken Thieves
Furthermore, EACC has sometimes been accused of going after petty offenders as big fish that loot millions and billions of public funds walk scot-free.
Nonetheless, the Bishop Oginde-led commission assured Kenyans of fairness in its war against graft.
In a statement, the commission sought to assure the public that it does not discriminate in the war on graft.
Also Read: Chicken Thieves Are Not Smart, Bishop Oginde on Why Graft Cases Collapse
“Corruption, whether petty or grand, hurts the public and impedes national prosperity in many ways. It leads to high cost of living, breakdown of the rule of law, poor infrastructure (roads, water, hospitals), high levels of unemployment and delay or denial of justice,” the agency noted in July.
On his part, Bishop Oginde said most of the chicken thieves are not smart, justifying why it is always easy to convict them.
“The person who has stolen chicken, you don’t need much to prove that. The chicken is lost, we have caught the person who stole it. It is a straightforward open and close case,” Bishop Oginde said.
He added, “The smaller fries are convicting much faster and so on, it not because the others are avoided but it’s too hard.”
