The complainant presented a letter and footage documenting the demands by the chief/COURTESY
KISII, Kenya, Jan 28 – A chief in Kisii County’s Kiogoro location was Tuesday sentenced to a year in jail with the option of a Sh60,000 fine after a magistrate court found her guilty of obtaining a bribe.
Chief Magistrate Nathan Shihundu found Pamella Moriasi, who was charged in October 2017 for obtaining a Sh3,000 bribe, culpable of graft in the execution of her mandate.
Moriasi was accused of obtaining the money from the money from Hellen Nyanchama so that she could write a favorable letter for her in a land succession matter.
Nyanchama reported the matter to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices in Kisii.
An operation was subsequently conducted during which Moriasi presented the money demanded by the chief under the watch of EACC detectives who arrested the local administrator.
The complainant presented a letter and footage documenting the demands by the chief.
Stephen Yatich, EACC report analyst, testified on how the complaint was made and prepared the operation and provided exhibits in court.
On her defense the chief said while writing a letter to the complaint in her office, unknown people stormed in her office and started harassing her.
They alleged she had taken the money from the complaint, she told the court, a claim which until her conviction she insisted was untrue.
Shihundu sustained the prosecution case arguing the graft claims against the chief had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
“I proceed to convict her of the offence charged. Under Section 215 of Criminal Procedure Code, the accused is fined Sh60,000 in respect of the charges in default one-year imprisonment, ” the magistrate ruled.
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