The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two judiciary officers accused of demanding a bribe to help retrieve a court case file.
The arrests happened just days after Chief Justice Martha Koome declared that the Judiciary would be working closely with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the EACC to combat corruption within the court system.
How the Arrest Happened
According to an official statement from the EACC, the two arrested officers—a Senior Court Assistant and a Customer Care Officer—were caught on Wednesday, March 26.
The suspects allegedly solicited a Ksh5,000 bribe from a court user at the Mbita Law Courts in order to retrieve a succession case file.
The EACC launched investigations after receiving a complaint on March 24, where the complainant reported that the Senior Court Assistant had persistently demanded a bribe before handing over the file.
The individual seeking the file had reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to access it before finally giving in and offering the bribe. However, after making the payment, the complainant decided to report the matter to the EACC.
Following the report, EACC operatives carried out a sting operation, leading to the arrest of the Customer Care Officer, who had allegedly received the Ksh5,000 on behalf of the Senior Court Assistant.
“The Commission conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of a Customer Care Officer who accepted a bribe of Ksh5,000 on behalf of the Senior Court Assistant,” read part of the EACC’s statement.
Both officers were taken into custody at Mbita Police Station for processing. However, they were later released on a cash bail of Ksh20,000 each as investigations continue.
CJ Koome’s Commitment to Fighting Corruption
On Tuesday, Chief Justice Koome acknowledged that the Judiciary has been under increasing scrutiny over corruption allegations. In response, she issued new directives aimed at restoring public confidence in the judicial system.
CJ Koome emphasized that the Judiciary is now adopting a more proactive approach by working with intelligence agencies to root out corruption.
“We are now complementing the complaints approach with an intelligence-based model that involves working closely with the EACC and the National Intelligence Service,” CJ Koome stated.
She further reassured Kenyans that the Judiciary has a strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption, promising that any court officials caught engaging in graft would face the full force of the law.
“The Judiciary is a corruption-free zone… In this regard, we have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, and we are determined to enforce it without fear or favor,” she declared.
The recent arrests signal a tough stance against corruption within the Judiciary, with the EACC and intelligence agencies intensifying efforts to clean up the system.
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