The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a senior government official from the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) over alleged corruption orchestrated within the agency.
The individual serving as the Director of Legal Services at ACA was reportedly under investigation over a multi-million bribery scheme involving counterfeit goods at the time of his arrest.
”As part of ongoing operations targeting various public service delivery points, the Commission on Thursday conducted a successful search operation targeting one Johnson Adera, the Director of Legal Services/Corporate Secretary of the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) who is under investigation over a multi-million bribery scheme involving counterfeit goods,” EACC stated.
Confirming the operation on Sunday, the EACC, through its Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, revealed that preliminary investigations established that between the financial years 2019/2020 and 2024/2025, the senior anti-counterfeit official received a cumulative total of Ksh40,344,619 in bribes.
A man with handcuffs
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Additionally, the official is also facing imminent charges for receiving kickbacks from traders selling counterfeit goods in the country, as an inducement to allow them to continue their businesses unchecked and without sanctions.
The suspect who is among several officials under investigation for the bribery scheme facilitating the illicit trade in counterfeit goods, received the bribes and kickbacks directly and through family members and proxies.
According to the commission, some of the funds that the suspect obtained while in office, were channeled to pay school fees for his children and cover utility bills.
The official was arrested after the commission conducted a random check on his premises as part of ongoing operations targeting various public service delivery points.
According to EACC, following the arrest, the suspect was escorted to the EACC Integrity Centre where he was interviewed and later released pending the finalization of the investigation.
The operation, which targeted the suspect’s premises under court orders, yielded valuable evidentiary material that will support the finalization of the ongoing investigation, according to the commission.
”The sale of counterfeit goods endangers lives, undermines legitimate businesses, and diminishes public trust in regulatory institutions. Members of the public should, therefore, remain vigilant and report all such cases to the EACC for action,” EACC stated.
During his swearing-in at the Supreme Court on January 13, EACC Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Abdi Mohamud identified corruption at service delivery points as one of the strategic areas where EACC will intensify action.
”Corruption at all levels, whether petty or grand, not only harms the public but also contributes to a culture of impunity that ultimately compromises the delivery of public services. Bribery, especially at service delivery points, poses a serious threat to ordinary citizens, and for this reason, the EACC will tackle it with the same vigour and commitment applied to grand corruption,” Mohamud asserted.
A section of the EACC headquarters, Integrity Centre in Nairobi County
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EACC