Man pleads guilty to extorting senator over shisha video, partner’s ‘sexually-explicit recordings’

A youthful man on Wednesday, February 17 pleaded guilty to attempting to extort Ksh200,000 from Lamu Senator Anuar Loitiptip after recording the lawmaker allegedly smoking shisha at a Nairobi restaurant.

Jones Ochieng Mbogo told the Milimani Law Courts that he recorded Loitiptip because he (Mbogo) knew shisha-smoking was illegal, as the consumption of the water-pipe tobacco was banned in Kenya in December 2017. The shisha video was recorded on February 12, 2021.

Mbogo confessed to sending the video to the senator so that Loitiptip could send him Ksh200,000 for his silence.

The lawmaker, however, refused to succumb to the blackmail. Mbogo, thereafter, sent Loitiptip another video allegedly showing the senator’s partner pleasuring herself in the restaurant.

Nonetheless, Loitiptip stood his ground, prompting Mbogo to leak the shisha videos to the public via social media platforms.

It was then that Loitiptip and his partner filed a police report, leading to the arrest of the suspect on Monday, February 15.

Mbogo told Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku on Wednesday that he had in his possession a video of Loitiptip’s partner pleasuring herself in public.

“I did not share that [nude] video on social media out of respect for the senator’s right to privacy,” he said.

“However, I released the shisha video to out Loitiptip for engaging in an illegal activity, yet, as a senator, he should be the custodian of the law,” added Mbogo.

The suspect will be detained at the Industrial Area Remand Prison until March 3, 2021, when his sentencing will be read.

Mbogo could face up to three years in jail for using threats in attempting to extort the complainants.