Nairobi — The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested Garissa Chief for extorting money from refugees seeking services from his office.
In a statement, the anti-graft agency stated that they caught Chief Abdirahman Shafe Yussuf for Bulla Mzuri Location in the act following an inquiry into numerous complaints from victims.
It pointed out that the chief was notorious for bribe demands in the ongoing registration of fingerprints from United Nations of High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) system.
"Before permitting the process, he allegedly requires every service seeker to pay him Kes. 3000 as "consultation fee" and a further Kes.10,000 in "facilitation fee" for the service despite the service being free of charge," it said.
All 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.
This was a mandatory for everyone who wanted to be processed for the service.
The EACC officers during the operation recovered Sh139,000 and a list of 85 double registered applicants indicating the amount paid by each of them.
"The suspect was processed at EACC Garissa Regional Office and freed on a police bond pending finalization of the probe," read the statement.
EACC condemned the actions of public officers taking advantage of the vulnerable people seeking government services.
The Commission says the act is unacceptable since it breaches public trust.
Those seeking such services or any other government services are urged to report in a case of such actions of public servants extorting money from them to offer services in return.
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