Nairobi — Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has openly defied a summons from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), declaring that he will not appear in person at the commission's offices today.
Instead, Barasa saoid that he would be represented by his lawyer in response to the ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery made against him.
Barasa was initially required to appear at the Integrity Centre in Nairobi to record a statement regarding the bribery accusations. The EACC, in a letter dated August 21, reminded the MP that this was the second time they had summoned him after he ignored an earlier request.
"The Commission accords you a second opportunity to come and respond to the allegations of bribery made against you. To this end, you are required to appear at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission's offices at Integrity Centre, Nairobi on August 27, 2024 at 9 am," the letter from EACC read.
However, Barasa has dismissed the matter, arguing that the issue is a civil dispute rather than a criminal case.
"This is to bring to your attention that I will not honor the summons as this is purely an abuse of the mandate of the commission...I will instead send you a lawyer," Barasa wrote in a letter addressed to the EACC CEO.
He further explained that the original summons was related to his alleged failure to honor financial obligations. Barasa had previously informed the EACC that he would not comply, asserting, "The commission cannot be reduced into a debt collection agency."
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Barasa accused the EACC of shifting its narrative, stating that the commission has now rephrased the issue as a bribery investigation in an attempt to coerce him into payment. He clarified that the deposit of Sh2 million to his Cooperative Bank account was a soft loan from a politician who had unsuccessfully run for a gubernatorial seat.
"It is clear from the documents that were forwarded to the bank to facilitate the transfer clearly indicated [it was a] soft loan; you can peruse them. Why I haven't paid because of the dispute in the contractual conditions is none of your business," Barasa asserted.
He also mentioned that the matter had been reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Karen and was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, as it was deemed a civil matter.
Despite the EACC's repeated summons, Barasa remains steadfast in his refusal to appear before the commission, challenging its authority and the legitimacy of the accusations against him.
