A police officer found guilty of receiving a bribe of Sh200,000 from a Chinese investor in 2018 has been sentenced to five years in jail or pay a fine of Sh1.9 million.
He had received the money to drop charges against the wife of the Chinese investor for being in the country illegally.
Trial magistrate Thomas Nzyuki convicted Julius Onyango Oguma on Thursday last week on the offence of bribery and concealing evidence.
According to the charge sheet, he concealed the Sh200,000 which he knew was to be used as evidence in an investigation for the offence of corruption.
It is on this count, that he was fined Sh400,000 or spend 12 months in jail.
Still on the same count, he was given a mandatory fine of Sh1 million or spend three years behind bars.
For the bribery offence, he has the option of paying Sh500,000 or spend one year in jail.
In addition, officer Charles Macharia who was found guilty of obstructing four EACC investigators from arresting Oguma on the material day was given a fine of Sh400,000 in default 12 months.
The court in finding him guilty said he acted violently when he drew his firearm and fired in the air, while the said investigators were effecting lawful arrest.
But in Mitigation, their lawyers led by Danstan Omari urged the court to exercise mercy.
The two convicts indicated they are sole breadwinners and have school-going children.
They are also hypertensive. The court in sentencing them considered the probation officers' report in which they expressed remorse and regret for their actions.
"I acknowledge I have seen remorse," Nzyuki said before pronouncing his sentence.
He gave them 14 days to appeal.
