EACC Arrests Two Police Officers For Soliciting Sh100,000 Bribe

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption  Commission (EACC)  have arrested two Regular Police officers from Eastleigh North Police Station in Starehe Sub-county for allegedly soliciting a Sh300,000 bribe.

The police constables include Raphael Nzioka and Nancy Kerubo.

EACC says the two were arrested for extorting money and goods from a local businessman operating a mobile phone shop in Nairobi CBD.

That particular day, the two are said to have visited the complainant's shop and confiscated his stock of mobile phones valued at Sh300,000 for no good reason.

"The officers demanded a bribe of Sh100,000 from the complainant to return the confiscated stock of mobile phones prompting the trader to seek help from the Commission," EACC said.

"Upon verification of the allegations, EACC detectives mounted an operation leading to the arrest of the two police officers while receiving the demanded bribe."

The suspects were interrogated at Integrity Centre Police Station and later detained at Kilimani Police Station pending further legal processing.

Confirming the arrest, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi noted that the Commission is increasingly receiving such reports of outright extortion by police officers who are not investigating anything touching on the victims.

"The emerging trend shows that in most cases, it is no longer bribery to forbear law enforcement action, but pure extortion of money from citizens who are not facing any legitimate accusation of violating the law," Ngumbi said.

"To mitigate this menace and alleviate the pain visited upon citizens by such incidents, EACC expects Police Commanders at all levels to take up the responsibility of ensuring that officers under their command refrain from such despicable acts that are not only criminal but also immoral. The Commanders, too, should not be the cause of such extortion under the pretext of criminal law enforcement."