The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) yesterday shifted their focus to the Kabete Police post demanding that Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from the station be arrested. This comes after police officers from the Kabete post fired against detectives from the EACC when they arrested two officers, Julius Oguma and Constable Charles Macharia for allegedly accepting bribes.
The two suspects are @DCI_Kenya officers were arrested by @EACCKenya officers & handcuffed but were rescued by their colleagues from Kabete Police Station who fired several rounds of ammunition as warning shots to facilitate the escape of their colleagues @ODPP_KE
— EACC (@EACCKenya) November 28, 2018
“The two suspects are @DCI_Kenya officers were arrested by @EACCKenya officers & handcuffed but were rescued by their colleagues from Kabete Police Station who fired several rounds of ammunition as warning shots to facilitate the escape of their colleagues @ODPP_KE,” read a tweet from EACC.
Amidst the exchange of fire, the two officers managed to escape and made away with Ksh. 100,000 bribe they had extorted from a foreigner. EACC has now raised demands that the police officers from the post be charged with obstruction of justice.
Seeing as no arrests have been made so far, the Commission now faults the DCI of the police post where the officers are attached saying that they want the DCI to release the suspects to face the full force of the law.
The Commission had reportedly laid a trap operation in which they nabbed the two officers who they claimed had demanded Ksh. 1 million bribe.
“The two suspects Mr. Julius Oguma Service No. 79715 and PC Charles Macharia Service No. 95924 are DCI officers were arrested by EACC officers and handcuffed,” EACC stated.
“We are sure the DCI will also go after the other officers and they will be charged with obstructing justice,” said the EACC spokesperson.
However, the police have given a completely different version of events. According to police, four “intruders” attacked an officer who then raised the alarm and attracted the attention of his colleagues and the public.
Police said the intruders were nearly lynched before they identified themselves as officers from the EACC adding that one police officer fired in the air to disperse the crowd that had gathered at the scene.
The demands of arrest from the EACC comes just a few hours after the Commission nominated ex-military intelligence officer Twalib Abdallah Mbarak to be the new CEO at the anti-graft agency.
The EACC only hopes that after his confirmation, Mr. Mbarak will see to it that the officers from Kabete are dealt with accordingly, if at all the claims from the Commission are true.
What do you make of the incident between the police and EACC detectives?