3 police officer arrested while soliciting bribes from university students
Police in Lang’ata are holding three of their colleagues after they were arrested on Tuesday afternoon for demanding a Sh100,000 bribe each from two university students.
The three officers attached to the K9 unit in Lang’ata were identified as Victor Khisa, John Odhiambo and Timothy Otieno.
The students from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and from Daystar University were at the T-Mall’s entrance from having lunch at Magharib building just nearby the mall when they were confronted.
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According to a police report, the two were arrested over alleged bhang possession.
After the arrest, the two were separated, bundled in two cars in the mall’s parking lot, and held in the cars for more than four hours.
“One was then bundled into a white Toyota Vitz while the other was taken into a silver Toyota Premio which had three occupants – one dressed in full jungle uniform and two others in civilian clothes,” the report read in part.
Police said the occupants forced the two traumatized students to call their parents and send one hundred thousand each to secure their release or be taken into custody.
One of the victims contacted his mother who came to his rescue and was asked to hand over Sh100,000 in order to secure her son’s release.
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She told the officers that she didn’t have the money with her and she had to go to the mall to withdraw the money.
At the mall, she spotted officers on patrol and reported the matter, prompting police officers to rush where the two motor vehicles were parked and managed to arrest the suspects who were in the Vitz and rescue the student.
The other student was forced to withdraw Sh10,000 he had received from his father from a nearby M-pesa shop in addition to Sh10,000 he already had before he was released.
One student complained of having been assaulted by the suspects.
The officers were detained at Langata police station pending their arraignment, police said.
Police termed the incident isolated and promised severe action against the accused.
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