BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko is expected to testify in a graft case against two top county workers Union officials tomorrow.
The two are accused of soliciting for Sh 200,000 to assist a colleague to be included with other workers to demand for over Sh 18 billion delayed salaries for the November 17,2016.
The Governor is among other prosecution witnesses listed to give their testimonies in the corruption case against against the two County Government Workers Union Nairobi secretary Benson Oliang’a Oriaro and his deputy John Muriuki who have since denied several graft charges against them.
Oriaro and Muriuki were also charged afresh yesterday before trial Magistrate Douglas Ogoti of Anti Corruption court after the prosecution amend some particulars in the charge sheet.
The Oriaro alone is accused that on October 16 2017 , being a employed by Nairobi City County Government of Nairobi as artisan II and being Secretary of Nairobi County Workers Union, requested for a financial advantage of Sh200,000 from Joab Odhiambo an aide to the Governor claiming he would influence Nairobi City County Workers union to engage in a scheduled parade to city hall to demand for their delayed September 2017 salary a matter related to the affairs of the said public body.
John Nyakaraga, who is investigating officer told the court that after the arrest, the two were taken to the EACC offices where they recorded statements before being arraigned in court.
He produced money Sh 250 ,000 that was recovered from the accused plus recorded discussion of the alleged bribe.
Nyakaraga told the court that the duo were brought to my desk after complaint was brought by Joe Odhiambo who is assistant to Governor sonko to the effect that Benson was requesting for a bribe of Sh 200,000 so that he will influence county workers not to parade city county workers in regard to their delayed September 2017 salaries .
The witness said after receiving the complainant he assigned another officer to translate the conversation from audio recording made by Odhiambo from Luo to English.
“From conversation I established the suspect was agreed they had met the previous day and they had agreed to meet on October 17. I also established the suspect was asking for a bribe of Sh190 ,000 to stop the workers from parading to city hall and they agreed to meet at CBD, “said the IO.
He produced a disk with conversation recorded on 17 October 2017 in court as exhibit.
The duo according to the prosecution allegedly committed the offence on 16 and 17 October 2017 at Nairobi County.
The court ordered each of the accused persons out on a cash bail of Sh 200,000 or alternative bond of Sh 500,000 and reporting to Anti- corruption commission every Friday of each month.
