Fresh details emerged today over how National Lands Commission (NLC) Mohammed Swazuri allegedly received a bribe worth Sh 1m to help fast track the payment of Sh 82.8M which was part of land compensation from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Appearing before the departmental committee on lands petitioner Mugo Njeru said that he has telephone conversations and text messages between him Swazuri and a Mr Badhili Elijah Yaa alias Charo who was acting on behalf of Swazuri confirming that the money was actually received.
Badhili according to Njeru, facilitated the meeting between him and Swazuri at Lotus Hotel in Mombasa where the deal was brokered.
The alleged Sh1 million bribe was paid to help fast track the process although Njeru alleged that Swazuri had sought for a total of Sh 45m as part of bribe.
He said: “through coercion and duress, Swazuri demanded that the petitioner must give him Sh 1m in cash, which monies was paid to him vide his conduit Badhili Elijah Yaa. That on or about December 19, 2015, the petitioner delivered the said, Sh1m in cash to Badhili Elijah Yaa in Mombasa at lotus hotel.
The sentiment by Njeru comes even as Swazuri is set to appear before the said committee today after he together with his lawyer Tom Ojienda sought for more time to look at the petition.
Swazuri who had appeared before the committee yesterday said that he was not able to defend himself as he had just traveled from the United States adding that he was not feeling well.
Said Swazuri: “I have not even perused this document because I came in today. I spent about 53 hours to get here and therefore I am not in a position to handle this petition.”
And speaking earlier Njeru told the committee that he was coerced to make the Sh 1m despite Badhili requesting for Sh1.5m because it was clear that his failure to honor his part of the bargain would see him not being compensated.
He said that despite him paying the alleged “facilitation fee” him and his wife who are the directors of Daimler enterprise limited were not able to receive any payment as the money was paid to a different person known as Barkresha Grain Millers Limited which claimed ownership to the said land yet they were not rightful owners.
The land in question measures 8 acres and is located along Mombasa road out of which one acre was the one scheduled for compensation.