A Nairobi County clerical officer accused of receiving a Sh95,000 bribe from a businessman was on Wednesday charged before a Nairobi court.
Albert Mbarani who appeared before Milimani Anti-Corruption senior principal magistrate Eunice Nyutu, denied soliciting and receiving a bribe of Sh95,000 from city businessman Khilan Shah.
He had alleged that the bribe would permit the businessman to carry out renovations on his business premises within the Westlands area of Nairobi.
Mbarani who was arrested by EACC detectives had initially admitted to the charges before the court before changing his plea.
The cleric officer denied that on July 30, 2020, at Spring Valley area in Westlands within Nairobi, being an employee of Nairobi County government as a Clerical officer requested a financial advantage of Sh45,000 from Shah with the intent that in consequence, he would assist him to obtain a renovation permit from defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
The court heard that the public officer solicited a bribe together with two other senior Overseers officers of the county namely Kennedy Kichamu Matagangwe and Samson Jamenya Aluga who did not appear in court for plea taking.
Mbarani also denied that he received a bribe of Sh50,000 from Shah on July 30, 2020, that he was to assist him in obtaining a renovation permit from the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service.
He was also charged with impersonating an enforcement and Security officer at Nairobi county and attempting to inspect the compliance of the complainant's renovation permit.
Further, the prosecution informed the court that Mbarani forged a renovation and repair permit dated July 30, 2020, and gave it to the businessman claiming it to be a genuine document issued by the county government of Nairobi a fact he knew to be false.
He was released on a cash bail of Sh500,000 with an alternative bond of Sh1 million.
The case will be mentioned after two weeks.
