Sh2m was soft loan and not a bribe, says Didmus Barasa
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa. File photo
Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didmus Barasa has denied ever receiving any bribe from anyone.
This was in response after he was summed to appear before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of extorting Sh2 million from a businesswoman in 2023.
On Sunday, the lawmaker said the money was a loan from the politician.
The MP claimed that a former gubernatorial candidate was behind his dispute, saying that after they disagreed over the repayment of a debt, the said former gubernatorial candidate came up with bribery allegations to link him to wrongdoing.
“I would like to bring to your attention that the deposit of Sh2,000,000 to my Cooperative Bank account was a soft loan from the said politician who unsuccessfully ran for governor in a county in Kenya on December 13, 2023. It’s a clear form of the documents forwarded to the bank to facilitate transfer, which indicates a soft loan; you can peruse them. Why I haven’t paid because of the dispute in the contractual conditions is none of your business,” Mr Barasa said.
He added that the matter had been reported to DCI Karen and dismissed for lack of jurisdiction as it was a purely civil matter.
“This is therefore to inform you that I will not honour the summons as it is a pure abuse of the Commission's mandate. You cannot invite me to interpret for you the reasons why the money was transferred when you have read the documents supporting the transfer of the funds because even though the amount transferred is over Sh1 million, you are required to produce supporting documents,” he added.
“If I have not honoured the financial obligation, it is because of the disagreement between me and the person. I have to tell the EACC that you have a serious mandate according to our Constitution. You have no role to play in assisting the said person to recover the loan given to me as a loan. You have documents that show why the loan was transferred to my account. Let the person go to the civil court and we will meet there.”
The Kimilili MP noted that he would instead send a lawyer to appear on his behalf at the EACC on the said date.
The anti-corruption watchdog summoned Mr Barasa to respond to undisclosed claims of bribery.
EACC in a letter dated August 21, 2024, said “the transaction happened on December 13, 2023.”
According to the Commission, this is the second time they are summoning Mr Barasa after he failed to show up on August 14, 2024 as directed.
“The commission hereby, accords you a second opportunity to come and respond to the allegations of bribery made against you. To this end you are required to appear at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission's office at Integrity Centre, Nairobi, on August 27, 2024, at 9am,” it added.
EACC at the same time warned him that if he does not turn up to respond to the allegations, “this inquiry will proceed to its conclusion, and appropriate recommendations made without further reference to you”.
