Two businesswomen suspected to be members of an international job syndicate have been charged with defrauding 28 jobseekers of over Sh15.6 million while pretending to be in a position to secure them employment in Canada.
The suspects, namely Lucy Nyokabi Kiutho and Staphristah Njeri Karani, will cool their heels at the Langata Women Prison remand until June 30, 2023, when Milimani law courts chief magistrate Lucas Onyina decides whether to free them on bond or not.
Onyina called for the suspects pre-bail report which will comprise an impact report from the victims of the alleged international job fraud.
The two denied the 28 fraud counts filed against them by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) through state prosecutor Anderson Gikunda.
Although Gikunda did not oppose the suspects to be freed on bond, he urged the magistrate to consider the colossal amount in question.
“I have not received any instructions to oppose the release of the accused on bond. I urge the court to consider the colossal amount involved,” Gikunda stated.
He further urged the court to take judicial notice of the complainants who had thronged court to follow the proceedings.
“Almost all the people in the public gallery are the complainants in this case who attended todays court proceedings. They want to catch a glimpse of the suspects who allegedly pocketed the huge sums from their relatives,” Anderson stated.
The duo is accused of defrauding the job seekers various amounts ranging between Sh71,000 to Sh2,000,000 between May 2022 and June 2023.
One of the counts state within Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) jointly with others not before court, they defrauded Lawrence Karithi Banu and obtained Sh2million through pretext that they were in a position to secure jobs for Richard Ayoma and June Eileen, a fact they knew to be false.
Another count is that they allegedly conned Eveline Kanana Gikundi Sh800,000 by falsely pretending they would secure her a job in Canada.
Nyokabi was separately charged with obtaining Sh12million from 26 relatives of jobseekers alleging she would secure jobs in Canada, a fact she knew to be false.
The magistrate heard the job scam syndicate is operating within the Nairobi’s CBD.
Nyokabi was accused of defrauding Judy Mbuya Njue Sh1,164,000 between March 1 and May 31, 2023 claiming she will assist her travel to Canada and secure her a lucrative job.
From the rest of the complainant the story was just the same as that of Judy.
