Cops on the spot over MPESA transactions

Money took the center stage as police vetting entered its second day Wednesday with a number of traffic officers in Kakamega finding themselves in a tight spot to explain their huge transactions.

There was friction after Constable George Ochieng’ of Kimilili gave the Kavuludi-led panel a response that was considered rude.

This was after he was tasked to explain money transactions amounting to 1.3 million shillings with part of the transactions involving a female police counterpart to whom he referred to as his colleague.

But when the panel tried to dig deeper, Ochieng’ declined giving further information claiming it would affect his family.

Ochieng defended the source of his money saying it was from farming activities and rental houses he has set up in Mfangano, his home area.

It also emerged that officers from Kakamega have been using one M-pesa shop in town to carry out their transactions, something that caught the attention of the vetting team.

But western regional police Commandant, Moses Ombati, who was among the panelists defended his juniors citing that most of his juniors had a good rapport with the shop owner of Bristal Shine MPESA shop in Kakamega Town, thus the preference.

Sending money to seniors was the other issue after Constables Rhoda Mwamburi and Sylvester Kiprono were on the spot on the matter.

The two were found to have sent money severally to their seniors with Sylvester having sent money 13 times to different seniors.

Constable Rhoda, however, claimed that her transactions were mainly official duties and would be sent frequently by her senior to go deposit money on her phone and send it to their phones.

Constable Sylvester on the other hand defended the situation as that of colleagues in an office and, therefore, they would engage in cash transactions.

Constable Sylvester was still on the spot over money he received from six truck owners while working at the Gilgil weighbridge. The constable gave unsatisfactory answers regarding the money transfers according to the panel and was let go with the panel saying that he would know his fate after the vetting exercise is over.