Officers of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested two police officers in Kiambu County for demanding a bribe of 50,000 shillings to release an impounded vehicle.
The two were deputy OCS of the police station in the area who was serving as OCS at the time, and a junior officer, were arrested on Monday evening.
The car had been impounded for about two months despite the complainant submitting to the acting OCS a court order for its release.
Following their arrest and interrogation at the Integrity Center Police Station, they were later detained at Kilimani Station awaiting further action.
The EACC took action following an investigation into allegations that on July 26, 2023, the complainant was arrested while transporting gas cylinders to his place of business in Githunguri.
The plaintiff was alleged to have transported the cylinders using an unauthorized vehicle, a saloon car. The officers continued to arrest him and detained him in the police station.
The next day, he was brought to Githunguri Court and charged with the offense of transporting gas cylinders using an unauthorized vehicle.
The man was released on a Sh70,000 bond and the judge accepted his request for the car to be returned to him. Deputy OCS was ordered to release the vehicle immediately and unconditionally.
When the complainant left, the OCS deputy demanded a mandatory fee of Sh50,000 as an incentive for the release of the vehicle.
He asked for the car to be released according to the court order but the officer refused and ordered him to leave the station until the day he got the money. It was at this time that the complainant asked the EACC to intervene and the investigation that revealed the above-mentioned to be initiated.
After confirming the allegations, the anti-corruption agency launched an operation that led to the arrest of the acting OCS and a junior officer. They were arrested at the station after receiving the alleged “incentive fee”.
