The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a chief in Garissa County for extorting money from refugees seeking services from his office.
In a statement on Tuesday, EACC said Bulla Mzuri Location Chief Abdirahman Shafe Yussuf was arrested in the act following an inquiry into numerous complaints from victims.
Further, the anti-graft body revealed that Yussuf was notorious for requesting bribes in the ongoing registration of fingerprints from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) system.
“Before permitting the process, he allegedly requires every service seeker to pay him Kes. 3000 as a “consultation fee” and a further Kes.10,000 as a “facilitation fee” for the service despite the service being free of charge.”
According to the EACC, those seeking services from the chief office had to pay the illegal fee to the chief’s accomplice, who operated in a probox parked outside the vetting hall.
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This was mandatory for everyone who wanted to be processed for the service.
During the operation, EACC officers recovered Kes 139,000 and a list of 85 double-registered applicants indicating the amount paid by each.
“The suspect was processed at EACC Garissa Regional Office and freed on a police bond pending finalization of the probe,” EACC said.
EACC condemned the actions of public officers who took advantage of vulnerable people seeking government services.
