The Anti-Corruption Court sitting in Nairobi has convicted a private investigator who doubles up as the director of a surveillance company after he was found guilty of soliciting a bribe from a businessman.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the private investigator received a Ksh30,000 bribe from the businessman.
The private investigator had been contracted by a technology company to conduct surveillance, investigate and identify rogue market players who have been pirating books published by members of the Kenya Publishers Association.
The bribe was meant to ensure the private investigator looks the other way and does not charge the businessman.
Despite his contract with the technology lapsing, the private investigator went on to solicit bribes from persons infringing the rights of publishers which is a criminal offence.
As fate would have it, the suspect was also found guilty of mutilating currency to conceal evidence contrary to section 367A of the Penal Code.
Prosecuting Counsel, Linda Otieno informed the court that the accused person tore six Ksh1,000 notes, which were allegedly part of the Ksh30,000 bribe. The notes had been seized as evidence to build the case.
Issuing a verdict, Principal Magistrate Isabellah Barasa ruled that the Prosecution team had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt after lining up 15 witnesses in court.
The court is set to deliver a sentence on Monday after the prosecuting counsel informed the court that the accused person has a previous offence record.
The prosecutor subsequently argued she needed time to produce the documents in court.
The Principal Magistrate further suspended the accused person's bond terms and directed that he be remanded pending sentencing.
Instructively, the latest development comes barely a day after a man accused of swindling Ksh 200 million from four firms was arraigned in court after the ODPP built a case against him.
