April 29, 1974: Zacharia Bukhala Shimechero (left), former deputy secretary in charge of the government’s Central Medical Stores, is jailed for five years and ordered to pay to the government £7,162 10s, which he denied corruptly receiving as a bribe from a director of Poly Chemist, Mr. Arvind Kumar Patel. Nairobi Senior Resident Magistrate, P. S. Brar, passed the sentence. Failure to do so will result in his property being attached. A Senior Resident Magistrate, Mr, P. S. Brar, passed sentence in a 2 ½ judgment after hearing the case for over a month. The magistrate gave the accused a fortnight to appeal against the sentence; but refused an application for bail pending appeal. Sobbing was audible from the public gallery after sentence was passed. But, wearing a broad smile. Shimechero waved to relatives and friends as he was escorted to the cells in the Law Court building. Passing the sentence, Mr. Brar noted that the accused had committed a serious offence while he held a very senior position in the Government. Shimechero was a brilliant person who used his intelligence to commit the offence and enrich himself illegally.

Photo|Nation Syndication