The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers in Garissa for their involvement in a scheme to defraud casual employees.
The officers are accused of inflating wages paid to these workers and coercing them into returning the excess amounts.
EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi confirmed the arrests, explaining that the officers would transfer inflated payments into the workers' bank accounts under the guise of rightful compensation.
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The casual employees were then directed to withdraw the surplus funds and hand them to the officers.
TWO KENYA FOREST SERVICE OFFICERS ARRESTED IN GARISSA; KES73,000 RECOVERED
— EACC (@EACCKenya) September 25, 2024
The Commission has arrested two (2) Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers in Garissa for hatching and executing a fraudulent scheme where they overpay casual employees engaged by the institution and later… pic.twitter.com/7MXTOWOdpc
Conservator Elphas Tembu Wesonga and Accountant Ibrahim Aden Hussein were arrested during an EACC operation on Tuesday. The authorities recovered Ksh.73,000, allegedly collected as part of the fraudulent scheme.
The money was believed to be shared among the involved officers and their superiors. The suspects were processed at the EACC's North Eastern Regional Offices before being detained at Garissa Police Station, where they are awaiting legal action.