M-Pesa statement filed as evidence in court showed that three Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officers (DCI), received bribes to defeat justice in a Sh30 million land fraud case.
The statement also shows that four prosecution witnesses received money between 2017 and 2023 in the land fraud case against former Kapkures MCA Paul Kimutai and his friend Richard Kipngeno.
According to the statement filed before Senior Resident Magistrate Priscah Nyotah, Inspector Stephen Agutu and officers Siele Kiplangat and Kiprotich Kirui, who testified as prosecution witnesses, received money from Josiah Nuguna, the complainant in the case.
“The court orders the M-Pesa statements to be filed to help ascertain the truth of the complaint by the accused persons that they have been framed in the case,” ordered the court.
The statement shows that Agutu, the main investigating officer in the case, received Sh49,000 from Njuguna. The investigating officer had admitted in court that he only received Sh3,000 from Njuguna on August 3, 2022, at 9.39 pm, but maintained that the money was sent to him as a contribution for a funeral.
However, the M-Pesa statement showed that he received Sh10,000 on March 10, 2018, at 1.42 pm and Sh10,000 on April 21, 2018, at 12.17 pm.
“Sh10,000 sent from Njuguna to Agutu on August 20, 2012, at 19.25 hours,” reads another transaction statement.
Further, Agutu who testified against Kimutai on September 12, 2023, received Sh8,000 on April 13, 2019, at 1.07 pm and another Sh8,000 on June 17, 2019, at 4.12 pm.
The M-Pesa statement shows that Siele received Sh9,000 from Njuguna on July 12, 2023, while Kirui received Sh12,000 on July 11, 2023.
David Kering, Kiprop Ngetich, Joseph Sagambor and Esther Mutai are the four witnesses who allegedly received bribes from Njuguna.
The statement shows that Kiprop received money 35 times, ranging from Sh1,000 to Sh2,000, between January 2017 and September 2023.
Although Sagambor denied receiving any money when he testified, the statement shows he received money more than five times.
The M-Pesa statement was also produced after Nyotah ordered the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the complaint against the seven.
“The defence lawyer is directed to relay any information they have in this regard to the EACC,” ruled Nyotah.
The alleged bribery claim was reported by Kipngeno at Nakuru Police Station, vide OB Number 44/27/07/2023.
This comes after Kimutai and Kipngeno were put on their defence in the Sh30 million land fraud deal after a six-year trial.
Nyotah ruled that the two were linked to forgery, fraud, making a false document and giving false information to the authorities.
Kimutai and Kipngeno were arrested on July 12, 2017, and charged, but they denied the charges.
They were accused of forging the title deed and the green card for the land, on November 14, 2012, claiming it was genuine.
The two were also implicated in the forgery of Kimutai’s family agreement dated October 12, 2010.
The court heard that Njuguna purchased the land from Ingobor Farm Company Limited on April 17, 1997, for Sh2.85 million.
The case will be mentioned on January 11. By Daniel Chege, The Standard
A Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter operated by the Ugandan Military crashed in Western Uganda on January 2, 2024, killing both crew members onboard and one civilian.
The Russian-made helicopter was on its way to The Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a peacekeeping mission, when it crashed in Nyamisingiri Village, Kichwamba sub-county, Ntoroko district, a Western area of Uganda.
The helicopter’s blades penetrated the roof of a house during the crash, which tragically claimed the life of one civilian.
“Uganda People’s Defense Force Air Force regrets to report a Helicopter crash in the areas of Karugutu-Ntoroko,” Ugandan Air Force spokesperson Maj Naboth Mugisha told various media.
Brigadier Felix Kulayigye, spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Force told local media TRT Afrika that bad weather is suspected to be the cause of the crash.
“The crew died heroes as they participated in the struggle to pacify our western frontier of the dreadful ADF,” Kulayigye said.
Kulayigye also said that the helicopter was flying to Congo, where Uganda’s military is fighting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist group.
The crashed Mi-28, developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, is one of three acquired by the Uganda People’s Defence Force in 2022. Aerotime Hub
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Amb. Moussa Faki Mahamat. The AU chief has called for calm and mutual respect to de-escalate the simmering tension between the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia, following the signing of a port access deal between the former and Somaliland.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Amb. Moussa Faki Mahamat, has called for calm and mutual respect to de-escalate the simmering tension between the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia, following the signing of a port access deal between the former and Somaliland.
Somaliland is an unrecognised state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as de jure part of Somalia.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission made the observation in a statement issued on January 3.
The deal in question was signed on Monday, January 1, by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi.It would allow landlocked Ethiopia to get 20 kilometers around the port of Berbera (on Somaliland side), allowing it to access the Red Sea for its navy and commercial purposes. In exchange Somaliland's President Muse Bihi said Ethiopia would recognise it as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so.
The pact was rejected by the government of Somalia which views Somaliland as part of its territory. Somalia summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia for deliberations over the agreement, according to media reports.
Somalia also vowed to defend its territory after Monday's agreement, which it described as an "aggression" and a "blatant assault" on its sovereignty by neighbouring Ethiopia.
As per the AU statement, Mahamat has been closely following the tension resulting from signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and the region of Somalia (Somaliland).
Mahamat urged the two countries to refrain from any action that unintentionally may lead to a deterioration of the good relations between the two neighbouring eastern African countries. He stressed the imperative to respect unity, territorial integrity and full sovereignty of all AU member states including Somalia and Ethiopia.
Furthermore, the Chairperson underscored the importance of adhering to the norms of good neighbourliness to promote and consolidate peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa region.
He urged the two countries to engage, without delay, in a negotiation process to settle their differences in the most constructive, peaceful and collaborative manner to consolidate and deepen their cooperation to serve peace and security in the region.
Also, he reaffirmed that AU would stand strongly in their side to encourage an African solution to the tension.
Somaliland, a region strategically located by the Gulf of Aden, broke away from Somalia in 1991.
The region has maintained its own government despite its lack of international recognition but its self-declaration of independence from Somalia, on May 18, 1991, after the start of ongoing Somali conflict remains unrecognised by the international community. By Emmanuel Ntirenganya, The New Times
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti or Hemedti), commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said he is ready for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire through talks with the Sudanese army. Signing a statement with the Coordination of Democratic Civil Forces ("Taqadum") on January 2 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Dagalo said he was open to a ceasefire with the army. In recent days, Dagalo has held a series of talks in some of Sudan's neighboring countries: Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Led by former Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, Taqaddum is a platform that includes more than 60 representatives of Sudanese political parties, citizens' committees, trade unions, civil society organizations and independent figures, many of whom belong to the civilian arm of the civil-military coalition government (Sovereign Council of Sudan) who took power in Khartoum in 2019 after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.
The Sovereign Council of Sudan was overthrown in October 2021 by its own military wing, personified by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (head of the Sudan Armed Forces-SAF, the regular army) and Dagalo, head of the powerful paramilitary RSF. The two generals, who had allied themselves to suppress Sudan's attempt at a democratic awakening, clashed on April 15, 2023, plunging Sudan into a new dramatic civil war.
The Addis Ababa Declaration was described by Hamdok as a turning point "to end the conflict in Sudan." A possible meeting between al-Burhan and Dagalo is now expected in Djibouti, whose head of state Ismail Omar Guelleh is acting president of the IGAD ("Intergovernmental Authority on Development"), the international organization that brings together the states of the region (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda) and are mediating in the Sudanese conflict.
However, Dagalo's travel through the region and particularly his stay in Ethiopia has raised fears from Egypt, which supports al-Burhan's Sudanese regular army and fears a joint blackmail by Ethiopia and the RSF leader over control of the Nile waters. The threat Cairo fears relates to Ethiopia's large dam on the Blue Nile and Dagalo forces' control of Sudan's Blue Nile territories.
Since mid-December, the rapid reaction forces have taken control of Gezira state bordering the Blue Nile and launched attacks on areas in Sennar state, another key area for controlling the waterway. Meanwhile, the serious humanitarian situation caused by the conflict has led the Sudanese and South Sudanese bishops to appeal to the UN and the so-called Troika (US, UK and Norway) to cease hostilities. In their statement, the bishops recall the "challenges facing the people of God in Darfur and Kordofan", where "villages have been razed to the ground, leaving citizens homeless and without housing." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 4/1/2024)
The date for the new £6 ETIAS permit, required for UK citizens to travel to Europe, has been confirmed. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be necessary for Brits travelling to 30 selected European countries, including popular holiday destinations like Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal. However, the start date has been delayed until 2025 due to technical issues.
And this comes as a new EU digital border system that will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use is expected to launch in the autumn 2024, according to reports. The entry/exit system (EES) is earmarked to start on 6 October 2024, according to the i and Times newspapers, citing Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel.
Under the EES, passengers would have to agree to fingerprinting and facial image capture the first time they arrived on the continent. After that, the data, including any record of refused entry, should allow quicker processing, according to travel bosses.
The EU Council has announced: “The new roadmap for the delivery of the new IT architecture foresees that the Entry/Exit system will be ready to enter into operation in Autumn 2024 and that ETIAS will be ready to enter into operation in Spring 2025.”
Due to unexpected delays, the launch of the ETIAS system has been pushed back to May 2025. This system is a requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the 30 EU countries, including UK citizens.
The ETIAS system will cross-check applicant information with other EU systems to enhance security. The 30-day wait means that travellers who forget to purchase their ETIAS may not have enough time to get one before their holiday.
An ETIAS permit will cost around 7, with exceptions for applicants over 70 and minors (18 or under), who will receive it free of charge.
The EU has explained: “Recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for better management of who is entering EU borders. The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience. To reduce procedures and wait times and address security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution ETIAS.”
“The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat.”
Reasons the ETIAS can be denied to UK citizens:
You have a criminal background, pose a danger to society, or are on a travel watchlist about suspected terrorists
You provide fraudulent information during the application
You are travelling from an area with an epidemic/pandemic outbreak and could be a danger to public health. Story by Ben Hurst, Wales Online
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