Court. [Photo/File]
Nakuru county National land commission secretary Frank Kibelakenya has been acquitted of soliciting for a bribe charges by a Nakuru Court.
According to a judgment delivered by Chief Magistrate Josephat Burudi, the prosecution had not proven their case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore the case could not stand.
Burudi said that the contradiction and unreliability of witnesses testimonies raise could not make the case stand.
“Prosecution witness number 4, 5 and 6 who are Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) officers said they conducted an operation on May 8, 2016, and the alleged bribe was on May 15 and 16 according to the charge sheet,” said Burudi.
According to court, the recorded conversation on how Kibelakenya solicited funds from the complainant clearly showed how the trap was set, adding that the complainant was the one who suggested and kept repeating about the money.
Chief Magistrate Burudi said that they did not see the accused receiving money and the accused was not arrested with any money.
Frank Ole Kibelakenya was accused of soliciting a total sum of sh. 1,650,000 from Konene Ole Nkuruna as an inducement to add names of three people to the land registry in the distribution of the Oljorai land scheme.
He allegedly committed the crimes on May 16, 2016 at Midland Hotel within Nakuru Township.
Kibelakenya was arrested on June 8, 2016, by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) officials after a set up at Midland hotel.
The accused, who is a public officer at the lands office in Nakuru, Is alleged to have received over Sh 1 million from two parties who were interested in adding more people to share the said land.
The court acquitted him under section 215 of criminal procedure code.