Sub County Police Commander Likoni Jane Kavutha and Nyandarua West Deputy Sub County Commander Ephraim Karani who were arrested in Nyeri at the EACC regional Headquarters were on Monday arraigned in a Nyahururu court and charged with corruption. – By John Mutiso.
The two sub county commanders appeared before Nyahururu Chief Magistrate Judith Wanjala where they denied the charges.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had arrested the two sub-county police commanders on allegations of demanding a bribe of Sh500,000. They also demanded Ksh 300,000 bribe from one Joyce Wachuka so as not to effect another court order.
EACC Central Regional Head Charles Rasugu said the offence was committed in 2018 when the two officers were both serving in South Kinangop, Nyandarua County.The two were Officer commanding Division (OCPD) and District Administration Police Commander (DAPC) respectively.
“They demanded the bribe as an inducement to effect an eviction order validly issued by a court against illegal occupants of a private property,” Rasugu said.
The EACC detectives concluded their investigations and arrested the two officers after the Director of Public Prosecution consented to the prosecution.
“We have made this arrest after the DPP gave us the go-ahead to proceed with the prosecution on February 10, 2021,” added Rasugu.
However, their lawyer Chege Gakuhi argued that there was no substantive evidence to show that the two received the bribe. The two have been released on a cash bail of Ksh 200,000 each or a Ksh 500,000 bond.
The case will be mentioned on March 23, 2021.
