Officials arrest court clerk taking bribe to influence defilement case

Mr Moses Gitonga Mucheke (in white shirt), a Marimanti court clerk, arrives at Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Upper Eastern region offices in Isiolo town on October 9, 2019. He was arrested for receiving Sh50, 000 bribe. PHOTO | WAWERU WAIRIMU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Moses Gitonga Mucheke, a clerk at Marimanti court in Tharaka constituency, was nabbed by the officers in Marimanti town shortly after picking the money.
  • He reportedly promised to help Mr Muriungi Kirimi accused of defiling a 17-year-old girl in February this year get a fair ruling of his case slated for Wednesday.
  • EACC regional boss Kipsang Sambai said they made the arrest after receiving complaints on Tuesday.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives have arrested a Tharaka-Nithi court clerk while receiving Sh50,000 bribe from kin of an accused person facing defilement charges.

Mr Moses Gitonga Mucheke, a clerk at Marimanti court in Tharaka constituency, was nabbed by the officers in Marimanti town shortly after picking the money and was later moved to the EACC Upper Eastern region offices in Isiolo.

He reportedly promised to help Mr Muriungi Kirimi accused of defiling a 17-year-old girl in February this year get a fair ruling of his case slated for Wednesday.

But the afternoon incident forced the court to postpone ruling of the matter with further directions set to be issued on October 14.

ROGUE COURT CLERK

EACC regional boss Kipsang Sambai said they made the arrest after receiving complaints on Tuesday.

“According to our report, the court clerk was demanding Sh150,000 to help influence the ruling of the case of a man charged with defilement,” said Mr Sambai.

He noted that the clerk is being interrogated over the matter before he is arraigned in court. “We are processing him and will make sure he is arraigned in court within the shortest time possible,” he said.

Mr Sambai appealed to residents to report cases of public officers demanding financial inducements in exchange for services for legal action to be taken against them.