'It was a soft loan!' MP Didmus Barasa denies swindling businesswoman of Ksh.2M

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has summoned Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa to appear on Tuesday, August 27, to address allegations of defrauding a businesswoman of Ksh. 2 million.

Barasa is accused of soliciting the money with the promise of influencing the award of government tenders to the unnamed businesswoman. 

According to the EACC, Barasa has since December 2023 cut off communication with the woman and avoided her attempts to reach him after receiving the funds.

In a letter dated August 21, 2024, the anti-graft agency notes that Barasa failed to attend a previous summon to record a statement on August 14, 2024. 

The letter states: “The commission invited you for an interview and statement recording at Integrity Centre Nairobi on August 14, 2024; however, you did not attend.” 

The EACC has now scheduled a second opportunity for Barasa to respond to the allegations, requiring him to appear at their offices at Integrity Centre, Nairobi, on August 27, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.

The EACC warns that failure to appear may result in the inquiry proceeding to its conclusion, with appropriate recommendations made in his absence. 

The commission alleges that Barasa, in his role as chairperson of the Parliamentary Roads Committee, promised to secure road tenders for the businesswoman in exchange for the Ksh. 2 million, which he requested as “a show of commitment and readiness to receiving the tenders.”

The businesswoman deposited the money into Barasa’s bank account on December 13, 2023. After the transfer, Barasa reportedly became unresponsive and the complainant learned that no road construction tenders had been advertised as promised.

In response to the summons, Barasa denied the allegations, claiming the money was a soft loan from a fellow politician who had run unsuccessfully for governor. 

He contended that the anti-graft agency was overstepping by involving itself in what he described as a civil matter. 

“The deposit of Ksh. 2,000,000 into my Cooperative Bank account was a soft loan from the politician who contested for governor,” Barasa stated. 

“The documents clearly indicate this loan, and any disputes regarding contractual conditions are irrelevant to the commission.”

Barasa has indicated that he will not attend the EACC summons in person, but will send his lawyer instead. 

He has criticized the commission’s actions as an abuse of its mandate, asserting that the documentation provided supports his claim and questioning the commission’s need to interpret the reasons behind the financial transaction.