Man charged with posing as deputy IG in Sh12m Facebook con
A man has been charged with impersonating a a police deputy inspector general on Facebook with intent to defraud a businesswoman of Sh12.9 million.
Philemon Mutiva was charged on Monday before a Madaraka law court with impersonating Deputy IG Eduard Mbugua And and pretending he could assist Ann Muthoni secure a tender to supply drugs to Mbagathi Hospital.
He is accused of committing the offence on various dates between September 19 and September 25 this year.
According to the police report, Muthoni received a friend request from Mutiva posting as the deputy IG and the two started chatting.
They met at a hotel in the Central Business District where Mutiva allegedly promised to connect Muthoni with a senior procurement officer at Mbagathi Hospital.
Mutiva faces four counts along with co-accused Evans Ochieng Onyango and three others not before court.
The two were arraigned before Makadara chief magistrate Heston Nyaga on charges of obtaining money by false pretences.
They denied the charges.
Police are pursuing the others.
Image: CORAZON WAFULA
Ochieng allegedly had presented himself to Muthoni as a colleague of the senior procurement officer at Mbagathi.
The court heard Mutiva and Ochieng, jointly with others not before the court, obtained Sh86,000 from Muthoni by saying they could help her win a tender to supply Norvatis Lucentis injectable eye drugs.
They allegedly committed the offense on September 25 at Airtel area along Mombasa Road within Nairobi county.
After the first meeting, police said, Mutiva and Ochieng set up another meeting between Muthoni and the procurement officer only identified as Clifford. The three allegedly met in a hospital office, the report said.
Muthoni was then asked to buy a sample of the drug for Sh83,000 at a specific place. They allegedly said it already had been verified and approved by the hospital.
They are also accused of making a Local Purchase Order (LPO) purportedly issued by hospital, forging stamps used for procurement by Mbagathi Hospital and a county department.
They are also accused of uttering false documents after they forged an LPO purporting to be from Mbagathi on October 1.
According to their agreement, court documents said, the tender was to cost Sh12,950,000 and Muthoni was to pay in three installments.
But Muthoni insisted on paying through bank financing while the men insisted on cash.
She became suspicious and reported the matter at Kamukunji police station.
During the arrest at Mutiva's house, police recovered an official stamp belonging to the Ministry of Devolution and set of handcuffs.
The senior magistrate released them on a Sh200,000 bond each, with a surety of the similar amount.
The trial is to begin on March 23.
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