Six record statements against German national accused of racism, assault of construction workers

Six record statements against German national accused of racism, assault of construction workers

Six people have now recorded statements against German national Hinteregger Yugen over alleged racist remarks and assault of construction workers in Kirinyaga County, the police have revealed.

This comes after the 47-year-old was on Saturday grilled by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

Speaking to Citizen Digital on Saturday, Gichugu OCPD Anthony Mbogo confirmed that the six – most of them workers of Strabag International Company – had indeed recorded statements implicating Yugen with verbal and physical abuse.

Yugen works for Strabag International, a German construction company, as a supervisor and was overseeing their project for the construction of Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga.

The labourers, through their union representative David Ndanya, claimed that the German supervisor often referred to them as “Bushmen and Idiots” and went as far as physically abusing some of them.

The workers said the German always got away with it by threatening to sack anyone who dared to speak out.

“We as the workers are really fed up by Yugen. No one questions his decisions since everyone is afraid of him. He is abusive and violent,” said one of the workers.

Kennedy Maina, a technician in the company, is reported to have narrowly escaped death after Yugen almost killed him while he was walking out of a container where tools are kept.

“Our manager Yugen is a violent person caning even aged workers. Today he threatened to beat me and after I tried pleading with him to forgive me, he got mad threw a metallic door at me. I had to shout for help,” said another worker.

The incident however forced him to report the matter at Kianyaga police station.

Mr. Mbogo previously stated that police have launched investigations into the complaints, adding that stern action will be taken against the supervisor, if found culpable.

Mbogo further added that the police are also looking into reports where the accused had been deported by the Malawian Government over racial discrimination, charges similar to those cited by the Kirinyaga workers.

Tags:

racism construction Kirinyaga County. Thiba dam German national Strabarg International

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