An auctioneer who had acted as an agent of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and tried to extort Kes2 million from Ruiru Mabati Mills Ltd in 2020 was today arraigned in an anti-corruption court in Milimani where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of receiving a bribe.
Mr. John Obura Dimo, an auctioneer with Keysyan Auctioneers, demanded the money on the premise that he could assist in clearing the company’s accumulated KRA arrears amounting to Kes19 million.
Ruiru Mabati Mills Ltd, managing director, reported the matter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on 30 November 2020. The Commission’s Operation Division took up the matter, laid up a trap, and caught the suspect after receiving Kes100,000 from the complainant. The investigation continued to its logical conclusion, and the file was submitted to the ODPP for direction.
The Commission received consent to charge the suspect on the 28th of December 2022. However, the suspect, who had been out on cash bail during the ongoing investigation, went under and did not respond to summons to appear for arraignment when the consent was obtained.
It wasn’t until yesterday, 21st September 2023, that he was arrested at a garage in Utawala Estate, Nairobi. He was arraigned today before Hon. Kagure Nyutu, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of receiving a bribe. It was stated in count one that the accused, on 26 November 2020 at Ruiru Mabati Factory Ltd Showroom within Kiambu County, improperly requested a financial advantage of Kes2 million from the complainant with the intent that in consequence thereof, he would facilitate in writing off tax arrears of Kes19,456,309 owed to KRA by the Jenga Mabati.
In count 2, Mr Obura is accused of having, at the same venue, improperly received a financial advantage of Kes100,000 from the company’s managing director on the same premise of helping write off the company’s tax arrears owed to KRA.He was given a cash bail of Kes500,000 or a bond of Kes1 million with a surety of the same amount. The court will reconvene on the 5th of October, 2023, for mentioning.
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