BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
A Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officer has admitted to obtaining and paying Sh2.4 million from his relatives for them to join Kenya Prison Services.
Anthony Barongo, who denied that the money was a bribe, told the court that he gave the money as a facilitation fee for his relatives to join the Correctional service. The relatives, however, did not secure the jobs.
Barongo was testifying against Nelson Mukara Sechere who is charged with forging a National Police Service recruitment letter after allegedly receiving the Sh2 million fee.
During cross-examination by Sechere’s lawyer Danstan Omari, the witness was put to task to explain the total amount of money he allegedly gave to the accused.
After calculating the money, the witness said the total amount was Sh2 million and not the Sh2.4 he noted in his statement.
The witness failed to answer whether the balance of Sh400,000 was his commission.
Barongo said he met Sechere through one Ashley Ayuma who is his relative and used her to transmit the money to Sechere.
Omari questioned the KDF officer why he had not been charged with giving a bribe and told him the defence would be making an application to have him as a co-accused.
The court heard that Barongo met Sechere on three occasions, one at a hotel along Mombasa Road whose name he could not recall, and twice while giving him the “facilitation fee”.
The officer also told the court that he could not remember how he came to learn about the recruitment.
The court heard that two of Barongo’s relatives had raised Sh800,000 to secure jobs at the prisons for their two daughters.
He allegedly gave the money to a police officer based in Murang’a.
Another Sh 435,500 was intended for a prison officer to secure a place at the prisons service.
The court heard that at all material times, Barongo was in the company of Ashley Ayuma.
The court further heard that six letters had been issued to the six applicants whose facilitation fee had been paid.
But none of them reported to Kiganjo because the letters turned out to be fake.
Barongo testified that Ayuma went to Kiganjo before to confirm whether the letters were genuine and was told they were not.
This led her to report the matter at Nairobi Regional Command where her statement and that of Barongo were taken.
When questioned whether the other people including the six applicants had recorded statements, he said no.
“The six applicants never recorded statements, neither did the people who gave the money, neither did the commandant at Kiganjo nor the National Police,” Omari questioned.
While concluding the cross-examination, Omari questioned the officer how safe Kenyans are if a KDF officer is soliciting money from them purporting he can employ them.
At the end of his testimony, the Magistrate put him to task to explain what facilitation fee was in regards to the money he paid. Barongo responded that “it is money you give someone for them to do something for you”.
The hearing will continue on February 28 2023.
