Anti-graft team nabs four traffic police in Salgaa, Nakuru

Three of the four traffic police officers arrested by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials at Salgaa leave EACC offices in Nakuru. [PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

NAKURU: Four traffic police officers stationed along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway were arrested by anti-corruption officials for allegedly collecting bribes from motorists.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials also recovered undisclosed amounts of money from the officers working at the Salgaa road block.

South Rift EACC Deputy Director Japheth Baithalu said they conducted the swoop after receiving numerous complaints from motorists that traffic officers manning the checkpoints were notorious in receiving bribes and harassing them.

EVADE ARREST

The officers are being held at Nakuru Railways Police Station waiting to be arraigned in court for engaging in corruption.

"The process of writing to director of public prosecution for direction has already begun and we expect to have the officers in court very soon," Mr Baithalu said.

He said they were nabbed after EACC officials set up hidden cameras which captured the errant officers in the act.

"Four others managed to flee the scene on foot but our officers in collaboration with senior traffic police officers in Nakuru are searching for them," he said.

Baithalu said the four initially resisted arrest but were subdued, arrested and driven to EACC Nakuru office along Kenyatta Avenue where they were grilled for more than two hours.

NO COMMENT

The suspects' lawyer, David Mongeri, arrived at the offices but declined to comment on the arrest.

The deputy director while condemning corrupt officers still engaging in the act appealed to the public to partner with the agency and fight the practice by shaming perpetrators.

Following the arrest, traffic police officers stationed at different road blocks appeared to panic and moved back to their offices at Nakuru Central traffic police headquarters.

In November last year, ten traffic police officers arrested in the same town for the same crime have already appeared in court.