The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved bribery charges against a Senior Principal Magistrate and a Senior Probation Officer following investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
In a statement released on Tuesday July 28, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said it had received and independently reviewed an inquiry file submitted by the EACC detailing bribery allegations against Hon. Martin Kinyua Mutegi, a Senior Principal Magistrate at Kangema Law Courts, and Julius Irungu Njogu, a Senior Probation Officer based at Kangema.
Following the review, the DPP concluded that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the two officials.
“Upon an independent and thorough review of the inquiry file, the DPP has established that there is sufficient evidence to charge the two suspects with the offence of Receiving a Bribe, contrary to Section 6(1) as read with Section 18(1) of the Anti-Bribery Act,” the ODPP said in the statement.
The DPP has consequently directed that the two suspects be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction to face the charges.
The Office reiterated its commitment to enforcing the law and ensuring accountability in the fight against corruption.
“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions remains committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding public interest, promoting fair administration of justice, and ensuring accountability where criminal conduct is established through investigations,” the statement read.
The suspects are expected to appear in court to answer to the charges, where they will have an opportunity to enter their pleas. Under Kenyan law, criminal charges are allegations, and the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Martin Kinyua and Julius Irugu were arrested over allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe in connection with a matter pending before the court.
The arrest followed a complaint filed by a businessman who reported that he had been convicted in a criminal case involving obtaining money by false pretences and was scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on July 22.
According to the EACC, preliminary investigations revealed that the probation officer allegedly approached the complainant, claiming to act on behalf of the magistrate, and demanded Sh170,000.
The officer is said to have assured the complainant that the payment would help secure a non-custodial sentence through a favourable probation recommendation instead of a custodial sentence.
