Bribery Bust: EACC Nabs Auction Employee Over Ksh2M Demand
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has detained an employee of a local auction house for demanding a bribe of Ksh2 million from a private company in exchange for a tax arrears waiver of Ksh19.5 million.
The EACC noted in a statement that the suspect had been on the run for ten months before detectives tracked him down at a garage in Utawala, Nairobi, and arrested him at Kilimani Police Station.
According to the EACC, the suspect was detained for the first time in December 2022, following months of investigation into his activities.
While appearing before Milimani Anti-Corruption Magistrate Kagure Nyutu, the suspect denied demanding a bribe from a private company on November 26, 2020, to write off Ksh19.5 million in tax arrears.
The court at the time released him on a Ksh500,000 cash surety or Ksh1,000,000 bond pending the commission’s investigation.
However, EACC raised concerns after the perpetrator failed to appear for court hearings, resulting in the issuance of an arrest warrant.
Under the 2016 Bribery Act, anyone convicted of bribery-related offenses faces a maximum fine of Ksh5 million a ten-year prison sentence, or both.
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In cases where the defendant received a substantial benefit and another party suffered a substantial loss, the court may impose an additional, mandatory fine of up to five times the benefit or loss.
Other penalties may include forfeiture of property, disqualification from holding public office, and obligation to repay government benefits.
The most recent survey by EACC revealed that the average national bribe rose to Ksh5,889 in 2022, up from Ksh3,889 in 2021.
The survey revealed that Kenyans are most likely to encounter corruption in government ministries, with the Interior Ministry being the most corrupt with 42.4%.
Health Ministry, Lands Ministry, Education Ministry, and Defense Ministry followed with 19.7%, 11.7%, 8.3%, and 7.7%, respectively.
Police topped the list of government departments and agencies with 82,1%, followed by Registration of Persons (25,2%), Immigration Department (17,3%), and Directorate of Land (8,5%).
To combat corruption, EACC has partnered with the media to expose bribery and abuse of power in government offices and to inform the public about the scope and impact of corruption in Kenya.
Bribery Bust: EACC Nabs Auction Employee Over Ksh2M Demand