Federal High Court Addis Ababa (File/SM)
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — The Federal High Court Lideta Division, First Instance Time-Appointed Bench, has granted additional investigation periods for staff from the Ministry of Labour and Skills and their alleged accomplices, who face corruption charges stemming from fraudulent practices within the overseas employment regulatory system.
State investigators told the court that the suspects engaged in bribery, system manipulation, and document forgery to illegally renew or lift administrative suspensions on rogue foreign employment agencies.
In its submission to the bench, the police special investigation unit detailed how the suspects prepared and issued counterfeit professional competency certificates to citizens who had not undergone mandatory vocational or pre-departure training.
Investigators characterized the operation as a sophisticated, organized scheme that compromised public safety and threatened to undermine official foreign currency remittances generated through legal labor migration channels.
To complete the ongoing probe, police requested a uniform 14-day extension to audit institution-wide financial records, review agency licensing files, cross-examine additional witnesses, and apprehend remaining suspects linked to the network.
Legal counsel representing the suspects contested the state’s request for extended detention, arguing that investigators failed to present individual evidence or delineate specific roles for each client.
Defense attorneys pointed out that several suspects were non-permanent contract personnel assigned to specific project tasks rather than career civil servants. On these grounds, counsel petitioned the bench to grant their clients conditional release on bail.
After reviewing the preliminary investigation file, the presiding judge ruled that sufficient preliminary grounds existed to keep the suspects in custody for investigative necessity. However, the bench directed police to produce individualized evidentiary filings detailing each suspect’s specific alleged involvement.
The court issued a staggered schedule regarding the remand requests:
Two Primary Suspects: Granted the full 14-day investigation extension, with their next hearing set for August 27, 2026.Eight Suspects: Granted staggered extensions of 12 to 13 days, with hearings scheduled for August 24 and 25, 2026.Three Remaining Suspects: A decision on their specific time allocation was scheduled for review on August 14, 2026.
According to information shared by the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission with local media outlet Addis Maleda, state prosecutors are expected to submit detailed audit findings and updated witness depositions during the upcoming court sessions.
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