Gun drama as EACC detectives arrest five traffic police officers in Kisumu.

By Dickson Odhiambo

November 20, 2019.

Gun drama as EACC detectives arrest five traffic police officers in Kisumu. 

DETECTIVES from the Ethics and Anti-corruption commission have today arrested five traffic police officers in Kisumu following a sting operation that has seen a gun drama ensuing.

The EACC Officers were on a sting operation along two major highways today at round 7:30 am where the five police officers were arrested for allegedly taking bribes from public service vehicles.

Some officers were arrested along Kisumu-Kakamega Road next to Mamboleo Junction while others were also arrested along Kisumu-Busia road next to the Kisumu International Airport.

A drama reportedly ensured after a police officer who was part of the team at Mamboleo Junction triggered his gun and shot at a colleague in the confusion when the EACC officers pounced on them.

Another Traffic Police officer has also been injured on the right leg which has a fracture which he sustained after trying to escape from the scene.

The duo have been taken to hospital for treatment where they are recovering.

During the melee, Members of the public and the wind blowing took advantage and escaped with some amount of money that the said police officers had reportedly collected from vehicles plying the highway.

Addressing a joint press conference at the EACC Western Kenya Regional Officers between the National Police Service and the EACC official, Nyanza Regional Police Commander Dr. Vincent Makhoha said the National Police Service and EACC are working together in the fight against corruption in all the departments including that of the police.

Dr. Makhoha has confirmed that indeed that arrests have been made as a result of the sting operation the anti-graft body has carried out today in Kisumu.

“Today at around 7:30am, there were arrests of five traffic police officers at different locations in Kisumu following the sting operation carried out the EACC,” Dr. Makhoha says.

Makhoha says the police fully support the fight against corruption across the various department of the Government.

Makhoha says the police officer who was shot was not done intentionally but was a mishap, adding that ballistics examination will be carried out to ascertain who exactly fired the ammunition.

He says the Police officer was part of the team that was doing the traffic duties along the said major highway.

EACC western Kenya Regional office Director Chiboli Aura says they indeed today carried out a sting operation along two major highways in Kisumu where the five traffic police officers were arrested.

Aura says so far the arrested police officers have been processed, adding that files will be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions after which the suspects will be arraigned in court once the investigations towards the matter is concluded.

“We had received complaint that some police officers have been taking money from vehicles on the road and we decided to carry out the sting operation,” Aura says.

Aura says currently, the amount of the money that was found with the police officers at the time of arrest can’t be a known amount since they might have had personal money.

“I have acknowledged that money was involved but I can’t quantify the amount because members of the public might have picked it,” Aura adds.

 Aura says the arrested police officers will be released on police bond since investigations towards the matter cannot be concluded today but will be done so within a period of four weeks.

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