A local benga artist , a police officer and three other suspects nabbed in Kitui while attempting to arrest a senior Kitui County Revenue Official while posing as EACC detective , armed with a fake search warrant from Milimani Chief Magistrate’s office , have been released by a Kitui Court on a Ksh 200,000 cash bail.
David Mbembe, Sheddy Kakai Kalusi, Permenus Kasamba, Ann Mutheu and Joseph Musembi were arrested last month while undertaking a search operation at the residence of the said County Revenue Officer after accosting her alledging that they had information that she was holding cash at her house.
The five were charged with impersonating EACC investigators, conspiracy to commit a felony, abducting with intent to confine, forgery, uttering a false document, attempts to extort by threats, and being in possession of suspected stolen property.
Acccording to EACC spokesman Mr Eric Ngumbi, the commission is experiencing a challenge of an increasing number of imposters who are defrauding unsuspecting public officials and innocent business operators pretending to be officials of the EACC or other law enforcement agencies undertaking lawful investigative operations.
The problem has now found its way into Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties with 24 cases of imposters having been reported from the region in the last three months.
“In Lower Eastern Region, the fraudsters conning people have largely been pretending to be from EACC Lower Eastern Regional Office in Machakos or Nairobi Headquarters. They have been targeting County Officials, School Principals and National Government Administration Officers, demanding to be given money so that they stop their alleged investigations.” A statement issued to the press reads.
Mr Ngumbi is now calling on Kenyans who encounter suspicious persons should to notify EACC and avoid succumbing to the fraudulent traps.
