A clerical mistake during a routine batch payment turned into a costly legal nightmare for a Nairobi man who allegedly chose to spend millions of shillings that landed in his account by error.
Detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (BFIU) arrested Dickson Yiaile Sitei on Saturday, October 24, along Lantana Road in Westlands, following months of investigation into the matter.
The trouble began on November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments simultaneously.
One of those transactions was a legitimate rent payment of KSh 72,000 owed to Sitei for premises the company occupied at its Suswa shop.
However, a processing error caused something far more significant to happen: an additional KSh 6,744,354 intended for an entirely separate company was also deposited into Sitei’s account.
When the company identified the blunder and moved to recover its money, Sitei had already made his choice.
Rather than cooperating, he allegedly used the excess funds freely, leaving the rightful owner with nothing to reclaim.
The case was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which reviewed the file and directed that Sitei face two charges.
The first is Intentional Withholding of Erroneously Delivered Payment, under Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, No. 5 of 2018.
The second is Money Laundering, contrary to Section 3(b)(1) as read with Section 16(1)(a) of the Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Act, Cap 59A.
Sitei is currently in custody and awaiting arraignment.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) used the case to issue a firm public warning: money that arrives in your account by mistake is not yours to keep or spend.
The law requires its return, and anyone who deliberately withholds or uses such funds will be prosecuted.
