How court clerk took Sh15,000 to file succession case

Wilfred Maonga Onyango at Kakamega Law Courts

A man narrated to a magistrate how a clerk at Kisumu Law Courts demanded Sh15,000 to help him file a succession case, a Kakamega court was told.

Wilfred Maonga Onyango had initially demanded Sh20,000 from Malcom Onyango Odhiambo but after negotiations, he decided to reduce the amount by Sh5,000.

"The accused told me a lawyer would require a lot of money and only Sh20,000 was enough for him to help me file the case," Onyango said.

He reported the matter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), whose officers immediately sprang into action.

"When I went to EACC offices, I found that only Sh5,720 had been returned to their offices," he said.

The officers then gave him treated Sh15,000 and asked him to hand it to the clerk.

"I was also given two gadgets, a video and an audio recorder," Onyango said.

As soon as he handed over the money, the EACC officers arrested Maonga. The pair of trousers he wore on that day was displayed in court as exhibit.

"We went to the EACC offices to see if the money we recovered matched the ones we had photocopied," Onyango said.

Maonga is facing criminal charges for soliciting and obtaining money to give a service.

The case was adjourned to December 11.