Fraudster detained for 14 days

Eldoret,

Wednesday August 30, 2023

KNA by Kiptanui Cherono

An Eldoret court has authorized police to detain for 14 days, a former high school teacher, who has been defrauding job seekers out of millions of shillings on the pretext of securing them military jobs.

The suspect, Dinah Jepchirchir Keter has been conning desperate job seekers between March and August 2023 promising them non-existent overseas military job placements.

Eldoret Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan allowed police to detain the fraudster after a successful application by the police who sought 14 days to detain Jepchirchir pending investigations.

The magistrate directed that the suspect, a retired high school teacher be remanded at Naiberi police station in Ainabkoi sub-county, Uasin Gishu County.

Jepchirchir is alleged to have conned hundreds of job seekers of their hard-earned money in promising to help them join the UK Army in the United Kingdom.

According to the investigating police officer Timothy Njuguna, attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Department, Jepchirchir conned her victims through her company, Keter Travels Group Limited located in Eldoret town.

The police officer in a sworn affidavit in court said that they had so far recorded statements from 20 victims out of the more than 100 who are yet to avail themselves to the police station to help with investigations into the multi-million-shilling overseas job scandal.

“We are currently investigating numerous cases of conspiracy to fraud at Naiberi police station by numerous persons among them seven people who claim that on diverse dates between March and August this year. they were defrauded of over Sh. 4 million by Dinah Jepchirchir Keter in a scam that they would be facilitated to be enlisted in the UK army,” said Njuguna.

The suspect was arrested on August 3rd at Jua Kali trading centre along the Eldoret-Webuye highway following a tip-off from members of the public and victims of her scam.

While pleading with the court not to release the suspect on bond, Njuguna said they are yet to recover vital documents from her that would aid in their investigations, and that the suspect was a flight risk and may abscond if released on police cash bail.

“The ground is also still hostile, and this might compromise her safety in the event she is freed on bond,” argued Njuguna, while seeking for 14-day custodial order to enable them to complete their investigations into the overseas job scam.

The Magistrate directed the suspect to be produced before the court on September 12 for pre-trial directions.

The county of champions has of late been rocked by numerous scandals involving overseas job scandals.

The county government of Uasin Gishu has been facing the wrath of parents over the Finland and Canada study program.

The parents of 125 students whose dreams of studying abroad were shattered due to the scam are demanding a refund of over Sh. 68m.

Former governor Jackson Mandago and three county officers were arrested and arraigned in a Nakuru court over the scandal.

Another agency, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency led by its proprietor Judy Chepchirchir has also been accused of fleecing Kenyans with dubious promises of securing them jobs overseas.

Courtesy ; K. N. A