A Nairobi county employee has shocked the audience at Milimani Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Court by admitting he is corrupt.
Albert Mbarani Mihadl, a clerical officer, pleaded guilty to soliciting and receiving a bribe of Sh95,000 from city businessman Khilan Shah to permit him to carry out renovations on his business premises within Westlands area, in Nairobi.
Mbarani who was arrested by detectives attached to the Ethics and Anto Corruption (EACC), on November 8, 2023, admitted before Chief Magistrate Eunice Nyutu on November 8, 2023, of the charges levelled against him by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The officer admitted that on July 20, 2000, at Spring Valley area in Westlands within Nairobi in the Republic of Kenya, being an employee of the Nairobi county government as a Clerical officer, requested financial advantage of Sh45,000 from Shah with the intent that in consequence, he will assist him to obtain a renovation permit from the now defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
The court heard that the public officer solicited the bribe together with two other senior Overseers officers of the county namely Kennedy Kichamu Matagangwe and Samson Jamenya Aluga who did not appear in court for plea taking.
Matagangwe and Aluga are out on a police cash bail of Sh20,000 each
Mbarani further admitted he received a bribe of Sh50,000 from Shah on July 30, 2020, to assist him in obtaining a renovation permit from the defunct NMS.
He was also charged with impersonating an enforcement and Security officer at Nairobi county and attempted to inspect the compliance of the complainants’ renovation permit.
Further, the prosecution informed the court that Mbarani forged a renovation and repair permit dated July 30, 2020, and gave it to the businessman claiming it to be a genuine document issued by the county government of Nairobi a fact he knew to be false.
After admitting to the five graft charges, the prosecution sought more time to enable them to avail the exhibits and previous records of the accused person before he was sentenced.
Magistrate Nyutu granted the prosecution 24 hours to present the exhibits in the case before she jails the officer.