Three Chinese Nationals Involved in SGR Ticket Scandal Charged with Bribery

Three Chinese nationals accused of attempting to bribe detectives investigating the alleged multi-million shilling Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) ticket scandal have been arraigned in court.

The three, identified as Li Gen, Li Xiaowu and Sun Xin, are said to have offered Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detective Andrew Warui and his team a bribe of Sh500,000 in a bid to influence the direction of the probe.

Appearing before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Julius Nang’ea, the three have been charged with three counts of offering bribes in order to influence an ongoing criminal investigation. They have pleaded not guilty to the charge and have been detained until Friday, November 30th when the court will issue a ruling on their application for bail.

The prosecution has urged the court not to grant them bail arguing that they are foreign nationals and had already tried to interfere with the ongoing investigations by offering a bribe.

The three, who are employees of the China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC) attached to Mombasa SGR terminus, are said to be part of a cartel that steals more than Sh1 million daily by manipulating SGR passenger train, Madaraka Express' ticket booking system.

They were arrested alongside four Kenyans, who also work at the SGR.