Man gave Sh1 million to fraudsters for fake KDF job

 

A man has moved to court after two relatives allegedly made him sell his land to pay for fake Kenya Defense Forces recruitment.

Leonard Etyang Okemer says he was tricked into selling his land in Teso and handed at least Sh1 million to the fraudsters.

Richard Juma Okemer and Lucy Catherine Mutitu were charged at a Kibera court with the offence.

They also face charges of impersonating KDF officers contrary to the law and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The police investigations show that Mutitu was married to the complainant’s cousin. When the complainant went to visit him, he found her and she introduced herself as a KDF officer based in Garissa.

They had a short conversation and Mutitu said that she had a space to enlist someone in KDF. The complainant accepted the idea.

Her husband Leonard informed Okemer that his wife was in charge of recruitment.

Leonard preceded to Teso where he pretended to be taking some photos of the homestead and informed the man that he had already enlisted him, according to the police report.

He said some of the money was required for military uniforms, medications, a gun for training and ammunition. The man sold his land and handed him Sh850,000 before he disappeared.

The investigation began and Mutitu was arrested and charged in September last year.

She denied the charges before Kibera senior principal magistrate Philip Mutua.

The charge sheet says on diverse dates between April 2019 and July last year, Mutitu obtained Sh850,000 from Thomas Ousuru Osoma with intent to defraud, promising to help him get a job with the KDF.

On Tuesday, Richard Juma Okemer was charged with the same offences and he denied the charges.

He was charged that on diverse dates between November 2019 and July 20 last year within Nairobi county jointly with another before court he obtained Sh500,000 from the complainant by pretending that he was in a position to enlist him with the KDF, a fact he knew was false.

He denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Charles Mwaniki who directed that he be detained until next Wednesday when the matter will come up for consolidation with another case before the court. 

The case will be mentioned on next Wednesday for consolidation and bond application hearing.