The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two suspects who allegedly attempted to extort Sh2 million from the Director General of a State Corporation.
The two allegedly told the director general they would facilitate the withdrawal of a petition filed in court for alleged embezzlement of public funds at the State Corporation.
The arrest was conducted as part of the ongoing crackdown on criminals extorting money from senior government officials and private persons, claiming to be in possession of adverse information against them.
The Commission, through Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, confirmed that following receipt of the complaint, the Commission mounted an operation on Friday leading to the arrest of the two suspects.
The two were nabbed at a restaurant in Nairobi after allegedly receiving Sh1.7 million being part of the Sh2 million they had demanded.
"The two are believed to be part of a growing number of litigious individuals in the country posing as public-spirited citizens and passionate advocates for good governance who file petitions against government officials in Court then seek huge bribes in order to withdraw the cases," Ngumbi said.
They were processed at EACC Integrity Centre Police Station and later booked at Kilimani Police Station.
The Commission has since released them on police bail pending further action.
This comes weeks after EACC arrested two Kenya Forest Service officers in Garissa for alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme.
The two were said to have been exploiting casual employees where they would pay them higher amounts and then demanding that the excess amounts be returned to them.
Ngumbi stated that the officers had been depositing overpayments into the bank accounts of casual workers under the pretence of legitimate compensation.
Police recovered a total of Sh73,000 said to be part of the day’s collection from the scheme was recovered.
It was alleged that the funds collected through this scheme were distributed among the officers and their superiors.
