20110825
Reuters
NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan junior minister is suing the east African country's anti-corruption chief for defamation over his accusations that her husband attempted to buy his way out of an investigation.


Cecily Mbarire, an assistant minister in the tourism ministry, has dismissed the accusations that her businessman husband tried to bribe Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) Director Patrick Lumumba as "false, untrue, (and) malicious".

At a news conference earlier this week, Patrick Lumumba said Dennis Apaa, who is married to Mbarire, tried to pay him off with a 100,000 shilling cheque to stop an inquiry into his firm in which he holds the position of director.

Lumumba held his mobile phone to reporters and showed them text messages from Mbarire and Apaa on the matter.

"We were given a cheque of 100,000 shillings ... This clearly demonstrates that those engaged in matters of corruption will stop at nothing in trying to compromise investigations," Lumumba said on Monday.

In the lawsuit filed to Kenya's High Court on Wednesday, Mbarire said she had been "seriously injured in her character and reputation as a person, family member, member of parliament, assistant minister and politician and (had) been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt".

She was seeking compensatory and exemplary damages and an injunction against Lumumba.

Lumumba was not available for comment on Wednesday.

KACC says it is investigating government tenders and contracts awarded to firms by the water ministry, and late last year the minister in charge was questioned for tenders awarded to firms it said were linked to Mbarire.

Lumumba said on Monday that his office had set up a sting operation to catch Apaa and Mbarire during a pre-scheduled visit to KACC, but that the accused did not show up. Mbarire sent a text message saying she could not come to the meeting, he said.
Corruption has tarnished the image of east Africa's biggest economy. According to KACC, Kenya loses up to 40 percent of its gross domestic product to graft annually.

No senior government officials have been convicted of corruption charges yet. In April, former cabinet minister William Ruto was acquitted of corruption charges over the sale of forest land.

In July, Kenya's High Court ruled that former industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey should face trial in a case in which he is charged with abuse of office over illegal car imports.