The Director-General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Pavel Robert Oimeke was arraigned at the anti-corruption court to face bribery charges.
Robert Oimeke was accused of demanding a bribe of Ksh.500,000 to authorize the unsealing and opening of a filling station in Oyugis, Homa Bay County.
The EPRA pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of Ksh.200,000.
Oimeke was arrested on Thursday when he allegedly received a Ksh200,000 bribe in a trap set up by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
EACC Spokesman Yassin Amaro said an employee of the filling station filed a complaint alleging that Oimeke demanded the bribe to issue him with a clearance letter to re-open business.
The petrol station had been closed after it was found to be in possession of super export petrol. Consequently, the station was fined Ksh309,842.00 by KRA which was later paid, and a clearance letter issued to be taken to Oimeke to authorize the opening of the station.
The attendant told EACC said he met the Director-General who asked for the bribe for the facilitation of the letter.
On 10th December 2020, a team of investigators accompanied the complainant to EPRA headquarters with the treated Sh200,000/= that was demanded, leading to the arrest of Mr Oimeke.
