Hotel owner denies role in Legislatures bribery trap

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The owner of Concord Hotel has denied playing any role in a bribery claims against Parklands MCA Jayendra Malde three months ago.

The MCA had allegedly demanded a bribe of Sh5.7 million from the owner of Concord Hotel as an inducement to prevail upon Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko not to order the demolition of the hotel’s gate that is said to have been built on public land.

He was arrested in a sting operation conducted by Ethic and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives who had lured him using treated currency.

Parklands Ward Member of County Assembly Jayendra Malde after his arrest by Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) detectives. PHOTOS | COURTESY

But appearing before the Nairobi County Assembly Powers and Privileges committee on Wednesday, Mr Raheem Chatur, the owner of Concord Hotel, denied playing any role in the siting operation.

He said he only learned of the treated money and the arrest on social media.

He, however, alleged that Mr Malde asked him for Sh5.7 million so that he could see into it that his hotel’s security gate is not brought down by the county government.

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“He did not receive the money from me and I only saw and heard about his arrest on social media. I also did not report him to Eacc but this was done by Irshad Sumra (former Embakasi South MP) who I had reported the case to,” said Mr Chatur on Wednesday.

Do you think Concord owner is playing safe?

He said that it was Mr Sumra who advised him to secretly record his conversations with the MCA should he ask for money. He subsequently made three recordings to that effect.

“I am just one of the witnesses in the case but Sumra is the complainant. He is the one who reported it to Eacc. I did a witness statement but I have not bothered to follow up the case and I do not know how it proceeded from that point thereafter,” he said.

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