The Kitui Anti-Corruption Court on Monday, August 12 afternoon released the five EACC imposters on a bond of KSh400,000 or a cash bail of KSh200 000 each.

The accused have been in police custody after pleading not guilty to various charges.

The five, including Anne Mutheu, a police officer attached to Muthangari Police Station, were arrested in Kitui Town while conducting a fake search operation at the residence of a senior county official, pretending to be EACC detectives.

They were charged with eight criminal offences including impersonating EACC investigators, conspiracy to commit a felony, abducting with intent to confine, forgery, uttering a false document, attempts to extort by threats, and being in possession of suspected stolen property.

The accused were arrested while impersonating EACC officers on July 19, 2024, in Kitui with a common intention to extort Ms. Roselyn Kavata Mwasia, the Kitui County Director of Revenue.

EACC says they suspect the five are part of a criminal gang that has been defrauding unsuspecting public officials while posing as EACC detectives carrying out investigations.

“The Commission received a notification from the local OCPD and confirmed that the individuals are imposters and not staff of the EACC. They have been deceiving unsuspecting public officials by promising to manipulate investigations in their favour,” the EACC says.

The suspects, who at the time of arrest were driving a white Toyota Fielder motor vehicle of Reg. No. KDC 846X, are: Mutheu, 46, Sheddy Kakai, 37, Permelus Kasama, 48, Joseph Musembi, 34, and David Bembe, 33.

When they were busted, the suspects are said to have produced a ‘search warrant’ supposedly issued at Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi and job cards in the names of William Kirui Rono, Meshack K. Matina, and Mary Nzilani Mwaniki, designated as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Anti-corruption Intelligence, EACC.

The case will be mentioned on Aug 26/08/2022 for a pre-trial conference.