A man has been apprehended by police in Kisii for purportedly posing as a lawyer.
The suspect, identified as Benard Cheki Matware, allegedly operated under the guise of Omariba and Company Advocates, according to reports from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) – South Nyanza West Branch and local law enforcement.
The arrest came to pass when Mr. Cheki visited the office of Kisii County Lands Registrar, Charles Ayienda, who subsequently alerted the authorities after suspecting foul play. Cheki now remains in police custody pending further investigation into the matter.
“The Lands Registrar, Mr Charles Ayienda reported that a person purporting to be an advocate went to his office saying he was acting on instructions of his client, Venny Bosibori Ezekiel,” Kisii County Police Commander Charles Kases said on Saturday.
The suspect had visited the office under the pretense of assisting an unsuspecting client in obtaining land sale documents. It was revealed that he had already obtained Sh40,000 from the client. When questioned by Mr. Ayienda about his legal practice experience and certification, the suspect was unable to provide any satisfactory explanation or produce a practicing certificate.
Following this revelation, the suspect was promptly arrested at the lands office and subsequently taken into police custody.
“Forms that were duly signed by the suspect were recovered from the suspect,” Mr Kases informed.
LSK’s South Nyanza West Branch chairman, Benard Gichana, Secretary General Justus Maeche and lawyer George Morara led members in putting on notice individuals who masquerade as advocates in the region, saying their days were numbered.
“When we got wind of the incident, we went to the lands office where the suspect changed the narrative and claimed that he was a clerk at a law firm. He had documents including land sale agreements and transfer forms,” Mr Gichana said.
Mr Maeche said such an incident was likely to erode the trust that members of the public had placed on legal practitioners in their pursuit of justice.
“The client had paid stamp duty in March yet her transaction was yet to be concluded,” Mr Maeche said, adding that they will not allow any unqualified and unregistered individual to operate as an advocate in the region.
Mr Kases said the suspect will be presented to court to face charges including personating an advocate and obtaining money by false pretense.
