A police corporal yesterday told the National Police Service Commission vetting panel that welfare and merry-go-round contributions were mandatory for every traffic officer.
Corporal Margaret Gathoni Mwangi told the panel, chaired by commissioner Murshid Mohammed, that an officer was not allowed to question the contributions made towards the kitty and was usually sent to a senior traffic officers every Friday.
Challenged by commissioner Ronald Musengi on the enormous M-Pesa transfers she made to her superiors, mainly the traffic base commanders in the Western region, Gathoni claimed those were proceeds of welfare contributions of Sh100 from every traffic police officer at the station.
“Please explain why you send money to traffic base commanders Samuel Mwiraria for 14 times, Francis Kabayi Mberia, Charles Rono and Abubakar Mwawasa,” he said.
In her defence, Gathoni said welfare contributions, which have since been stopped, were sent to base commanders to support a member or his family in case of bereavement, adding that there was no audit of the funds.
Gathoni who swore in her wealth declaration forms as a farmer and mitumba trader in Kakamega, found herself in trouble explaining her M-Pesa daily transactions that ranged between Sh2,500-Sh23,000 in 2012-2013.
Another officer, corporal Rose Ghati, was questioned over huge cash deposits on her bank account at the Kenya Commercial Bank in Kakamega as well as mobile cash transfers to traffic base commanders.
Asked the source of the Sh100,000 deposit in her bank account in June 2012, an M-Pesa transfer of Sh40,000 to base commander Mwawasa and a cash deposit of Sh164,650 from Alex Mutendei, she said: “Sh100,000 was from my husband, Sh40,000 was for our welfare and Alex was a friend who lend me the money.”
The two, together with corporals Pauline Letangule, Samuel Kipng’etich, police constables Ali Hussein, Anthony Muturi and Boniface Kirimi admitted before the panel that they have dabbled into business to compliment their incomes.
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