Two Kenya Forest Service officers were arrested in Garissa by the anti-graft squad over the alleged running of a fraud syndicate.
This is informed by accusations that the officers overpay casual employees and later ask for the excess money back from them.
EACC’s Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi has since confirmed the recovery of Sh73,000 from the operation. “The recovered amount was part of the day’s collection from the casual employees,” said Ngumbi.
Ngumbi further said that the officers had been depositing money in the casual workers’ bank accounts as if they were paying them their legitimate pay. He added, “The officers would later call the workers to withdraw the cash and return it to them.”
The money collected in this scheme was shared among the officers involved and their senior counterparts.
They were arrested following an operation by the Commission. Ngumbi added, “This operation is part of our sustained endeavors toward taming corruption within public institutions.”
The suspects were booked at the EACC North Eastern Regional Offices in Garissa and later at the Garissa Police Station as they await further investigations and legal procedures.
This case adds to the growing list of corruption investigations being undertaken by EACC in various sectors across the country. The Commission has sworn to continue cracking down on corrupt practices within public institutions.
Ngumbi reiterated their commitment to fighting corruption, stating, “We will not rest until public officers implicated in corrupt activities are held accountable for their actions.”
