A Senior Principal Magistrate at Kangema Law Courts and a Principal Probation Officer are in custody after they were allegedly caught receiving a KSh150,000 bribe from a convicted businessman in exchange for influencing his sentence.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said it arrested Senior Principal Magistrate Martin Kinyua Mutegi and Principal Probation Officer Julius Irungu Njogu during an operation conducted at a restaurant in Kangema Township on Tuesday, July 21.
According to the anti-graft agency, the operation was launched after a Murang’a businessman filed a complaint claiming he had been asked to pay KSh170,000 to avoid a jail term.
The businessman had been convicted on July 2 in a criminal case involving obtaining money by false pretences and was due for sentencing on July 22.
EACC said preliminary investigations established that the probation officer approached the complainant, claiming he was acting on behalf of the magistrate.
The officer allegedly told the businessman that the money would guarantee a favourable probation report, paving the way for a non-custodial sentence instead of imprisonment.
Investigators then mounted a sting operation that culminated in the arrest of the two suspects as they allegedly received KSh150,000 from the complainant.
“The suspects were arrested while receiving KSh150,000 from the complainant,” EACC said in a statement.
The commission said the two are being held at Nyeri Central Police Station and will be processed at the EACC Central Regional Office before being presented in court.
The agency said the arrests underscore its continued crackdown on bribery within public institutions, especially in areas where citizens seek essential government services.
“EACC reiterates its commitment to tackling bribery at service delivery points and enhancing the quality of public services for all citizens,” the commission said.
The case is likely to renew scrutiny over corruption within the justice system, particularly allegations of judicial officers and court officials soliciting money from litigants in exchange for favourable outcomes.
The post Magistrate, Probation Officer Arrested Over Alleged Bribe to Influence Court Sentence appeared first on Tukio.