The Nakuru High Court yesterday declined an attempt by 10 traffic police officers to block the State from prosecuting them.
The officers, who were recently nabbed by the anti-graft agency, had moved to court seeking orders to bar the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from charging them with abuse of office.
They told Lady Justice Janet Mulwa that an independent probe by the Nakuru police boss and an independent authority to ascertain if indeed the offences they should be charged with took place is still pending.
But Justice Mulwa declined those orders and directed their advocates to serve the EACC and DPP with the application for an inter-party hearing on Wednesday.
The traffic police officers, who were arrested on October 30 in an operation over allegations of soliciting bribes along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, will appear in court today.
Through lawyers David Mongeri and Steve Kabita, the officers claim their arrest has become a subject of media conversation and their trial might not be fair.
“They fear the trial in an atmosphere of a media circus, according to them, that is calculated to lynching them in public,” the lawyers said.
They also claimed they are being sought by EACC officers over allegations of crimes they never committed and have not been informed of what they should appear in court to answer to.
The traffic officers noted that there are high chances they may be apprehended at any time and be locked up in police custody.
The officers among them three women were seized at Eveready, KITI and Shinners checkpoints where they had been deployed to inspect motorists in an 8.30 am.
The Ethics and Anti-corruption officers had reportedly planted cameras at the various roadblocks which helped them capture every move of the police officers who have been accused of allowing motorists to flout traffic regulations upon receipt of bribes. A motorist found giving a bribe was also arrested.