Salim Swaleh pleads for forgiveness

When former journalist Salim Swale was presented at the Milimani Law Court over extortion claims on June 24, 2024. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Former Director of Press Service at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary Salim Swaleh has gone viral apologising to his former boss for his involvement in a Sh. 5.8 million fraud cases.

In a viral video seen by the Standard, Swaleh expressed the emotional turmoil he has gone through since the case came to the public limelight in June.

 Swaleh was involved in scamming foreigners by posing as a senior government official taking bribes for fake deals through Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s office.

“I served you with unmatched zeal, I broke the trust I did, and I am sorry about it. The last month has been so difficult for me. I have been unable to even walk out because of the publicity and the things people said about me just threw me into uncharted territory,” Swaleh said.

He recorded the video after several failed attempts to reach Mudavadi physically or by sending people.

"A lot of things have been running through my mind. Sometimes I even feel like taking my own life. I lost everything in the blink of an eye," he revealed.

He emotionally pleaded for forgiveness and appealed to his former boss (Mudavadi) to assist him end the legal proceedings.

"Every time we go to court, the lawyers are on my neck, the police are on my neck. Everybody is extorting left, right, and center. They think I have a lot of money, but every time we go there, we are told the prosecution has not received any direction on what should happen to the case," Swaleh lamented.

Swaleh, alongside Otieno Japolo Michael, Terry Kemunto Sese, Daniel Omondi Gogo, and John Musundi Wabomba, are accused of attempting to defraud Nexor-Emea Engineering Consultancy Company of Sh5.8 million.

The prosecution alleged that Swaleh allowed a meeting to take place in his office at the Kenya Railways Headquarters, during which Otieno posed as the Chairman of the Government Delivery Unit in a bid to secure the tender.

He has further revealed that since then his salary has stopped curtailing his financial activities including loan repayment and bills.

"It’s end month, bills are piling up because salaries stopped abruptly. I have loans. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. And secondly, please help end this so I can pick up the small pieces that are left and see where I can begin. With the kind of bad publicity that I got, it is almost impossible to get another place to work. Please have mercy on me." he pleaded.

The DPP had previously approved three fraud charges against Swaleh and his co-accused: Conspiracy to defraud, attempt to obtain money by pretense, and abuse of office.