A flashy Kisii politician cum business man has implicated National Land Commission (NLC) vice chairperson, Abigael Mbagaya, in Ksh200 million bribe scandal.
Merlahi Jhanda has been alleged of being the front of National Land Commission (NLC) Chairman Mohamed Swazuri in SGR land compensation deals.
He is the director of Atlana Corporation, which he co-owns with his wife.
In 2016 entered a consultancy deal with Clarence Matheny Leadership Training Institute, in Ongata Rongai, with the task of helping the church get the best deal from the SGR compensation.
Initial estimates had valued the land at Ksh600 million, but by the stroke of his magic, the church was to receive upward of Ksh927million.
For his job, he was to walk away with 15.3 percent of the award amount which translated to about Ksh141 million.
Trouble started when the church got its award and one party started pushing for a 50-50 sharing of the proceeds from the deal while Jhanda, wanted a bigger piece of the cake.
The church accused Jhanda of being a front for Swazuri to extort money from it to smoothen the way.
Bishop Joel Chola, who is the executive director of Clarence Matheny Leadership, alleged that NLC officials first asked for a bribe of up to Ksh200 million before they could process their compensation.
Chola wrote to the DCI accusing one NLC official and Jhanda of abuse of office, blackmail, intimidation, threats, false representation and frustrating compensation payment to solicit undue funds.
The business man disclosed to Sunday Standard that Mbagaya had asked him for a share of the money.
But the top ranking official swiftly shot back, stating she will not be drawn into fights from “fraudsters” who are “enemies of the commission.”
