A petition has been filed against Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi for allegedly failing to repay “soft loans” amounting to USD 60,300 (approx. Ksh.7.9 million) he took from a diplomat.
The diplomat, Josphat Machogu, claims that they first met sometime in June 2021 when Amisi together with other Members of Parliament paid an official visit to IGAD offices in Djibouti, after which they became friends, exchanged contacts and kept talking thereafter.
Machogu, through his lawyer Daniel Achach, claims that on diverse dates between January 2022 and September 2022, Amisi approached him and requested for soft loans of different amounts.
The first amount advanced to Amisi was Ksh.500,000 which was reportedly deposited directly to his account on or about January 6, 2022, according to court documents seen by Citizen Digital.
On or about April 12, 2022, the diplomat says he sent an additional sum of USD 50,000 (approx.Ksh.6 million) to the defendant.
Later in September, the petitioner says Amisi requested for another soft loan “to enable him offset some unforeseen bills resulted from the campaigns.” The defendant says he advanced to Amisi an additional USD 10,300 (approx.Ksh.1.3 million).
The diplomat however submits that the MP paid back Ksh.500,000 after he threatened to take legal action.
“The plaintiff prays for judgment against the Defendant for USD 60,300.00 and interest at court rates from the date of filing this suit until payment in full.” reads court papers.
He claims that the MP told him that he was campaigning to regain his National Assembly seat in the General Election slated later that year and that he was unable to raise enough funds through donations and fundraisers and, hence needed a refundable soft loan.
He further claims that it was their understanding that upon winning the elections and being sworn in, the lawmaker would pay all the soft loans advanced in one instalment.
“In the alternative, the Defendant expressed to the Plaintiff that should he not win in the elections, he would give the Plaintiff a payment proposal that would be acceptable, but the Defendant was almost very sure of a win with the Plaintiffs soft loan,” reads the court papers.
Despite the Plaintiff meeting his part of the agreement, the MP has allegedly failed to repay the soft loans advanced to him by the Plaintiff, according to the diplomat.
“I continue to suffer loss and damages… The Plaintiff made several attempts to reach out to the Defendant for the payment but the Defendant became evasive, slippery and also for a long period of time and when he finally did, the Defendant became abusive and threatening to the Plaintiff,” claims the diplomat.
The diplomat says the MP threatened him with dire consequences should he continue demanding the payment of the loan, including telling the Plaintiff ‘Kitakuramba’.
