Witnesses testifying against an assistant county commissioner facing corruption charges have told a Nakuru court that the officer used proxies to demand and receive bribes from the public.
The two, John Kariuki and Rahab Waruguru, said that the assistant county commissioner for Lare division, Tom Ndalo, demanded bribes through Kianjoya area chief James Kimani and later received the money through an agent.
The witnesses alleged that Ndalo demanded a bribe of Sh20,000 on January 27 in order to open a feeder road their neighbour had closed in their village of Mariga in Naishi area.
In his testimony, Kariuki said he was told by area chief Kimani that Ndalo wanted the money in order to open the access road that had been closed.
“The road was opened and Ndalo called and told me that we had taken the law in our own hands and that we had not fulfilled the agreement,” Kariuki told the Nakuru court senior principal magistrate Loise Komingoi.
Kariuki said he informed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption (EACC) officials who began a process to arrest Ndalo and told him to bargain with Ndalo to reduce the amount from Sh20,000 to Sh15,000.
“I informed the EACC officers who planned and gave me their money to give it to Ndalo which I presented to him. He called a boy whom he referred to as “Young man” from a hotel at Naishi centre and directed him to accompany me to receive an item,” Kariuki explained.
However, Ndalo who is out on Sh300,000 bond, accused the two witnesses of scheming to have him sacked from his position on ethnic considerations after failure by area chief to solve the dispute.
EACC, through State counsel James Nombi, told the court that Ndalo solicited the bribe. The court further heard that apart from the alleged inducement, the accused later received Sh15,000 at Naishi shopping centre.
Hearing of the case continues on October 22.