A senior police officer has testified before the Anti-Corruption Court that JamboPay (Webtribe Ltd) Director Danson Muchemi allegedly attempted to bribe former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko with between Sh4 million and Sh5 million daily to secure a lucrative county revenue collection tender.
Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio, now the Sub-County Police Commander in Hulugho, Garissa County, on Wednesday recounted details of a 2019 undercover operation that was triggered by a tip-off from Sonko himself.
Testifying before Milimani Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, Kisorio said the sting operation was initiated on January 10, 2019, in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, after Sonko reported that Muchemi was planning to bribe him at his Kanamai residence.
“The former governor said Muchemi was visiting him and wanted him to facilitate his reappointment to manage Nairobi County’s revenue collection. Sonko requested police help to arrest him if he offered a bribe,” Kisorio told the court.
Acting on the report, police recorded OB 35/10/01/2019 at Mtwapa Police Station. Officers then equipped Sonko with a Sony ICD-PX470 audio recorder to secretly capture the meeting.
“We instructed him to record everything,” Kisorio said. “After the meeting, he handed over the recorder, and we listened to the 57-minute audio. I was shocked.”
Kisorio told the court the recording captured Muchemi offering Sonko millions daily if he agreed to cooperate. “Muchemi said Sonko would receive Sh4 to Sh5 million every day, and claimed former Governor Evans Kidero had made Sh7 billion from the same deal,” the officer testified.
He requested the court to allow the audio recording to be played in open court as part of Sonko’s defence, but Magistrate Ondieki deferred the playback to Thursday, July 17, at 9:30 am.
“We believe the audio evidence will shed light on the level of corruption tied to Nairobi’s revenue collection contract,” said Kisorio, the fourth defence witness in the case.
Sonko is facing seven graft-related charges in a Sh20 million corruption case filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He is jointly charged with businessman Patrick Ombok, who is expected to testify in his defence on five of the counts.
The court had earlier ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, prompting the court to place both Sonko and Ombok on their defence.
At least eleven more defence witnesses are expected to take the stand as the trial continues.
Written by Were Kelly
