A police officer has been arrested for demanding and receiving a Ksh4,000 bribe from a motorist to facilitate release of a car detained at Mumias Police Station in Kakamega County.
The officer identified as Joshua Ouma Odour was nabbed by officers from the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday, June 22, 2023, following a complaint lodged with the anti-graft body.
Confirming the incident, EACC said the said vehicle was detained on allegations that the license plate was not clearly visible.
“The Commission received the complaint today and immediately commenced investigations which culminated in the arrest of the suspect while receiving the bribe,” EACC said.
The officer was escorted to EACC offices in Bungoma where he was processed and later booked at Bungoma Police Station pending further action.
The incident comes a week after another police officer was arrested for soliciting a Ksh10,000 bribe to release a motorbike that he had confiscated and detained in Igembe North, Meru County.
The arrest of George Waweru Kagia followed a complaint lodged by a local bodaboda rider.
“The police officer stopped the rider and asked him to prove ownership of the motorbike but he did not have the documents with him. When he later presented ownership documents, the officer said they were not genuine and demanded Ksh10k bribe to release the detained motorbike, EACC said on June 16.
EACC urges public officials to desist from the vice, saying “It is not only criminal but also immoral for a public official to expect, solicit or demand bribes from citizens, for whatever reason.”
