Man who allegedly defrauded Mombasa-based Sacco KSh900,000 arrested in Kisii

Detectives have arrested a man who allegedly defrauded a Mombasa-based Sacco KSh900,000.

Francis Mairura, 22, orchestrated an online scam that saw the Sacco lose the cash. KSh600,000 was recovered from him upon his arrest in Nyamondo village, Gucha South, Kisii County, yesterday.  

"Sleuths based at DCI’s operations support unit trailed the cash which was siphoned through a breach of the Sacco’s IT systems and transferred to six M-Pesa accounts belonging to the suspect," reports the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. 

"The high level fraud which occurred on December 31, 2022, was executed between 3:30 to 5pm by the suspect who was at the time oscillating between two houses, one at Witeithie estate in Thika town and the other at Gitambaya in Ruiru." 

When the suspect learnt that DCI was on his trail, he escaped to his rural home in Kisii county. The detectives tracked him down and arrested him in his bedroom. 

"A thorough search was conducted leading to the recovery of Sh0.6 million, 3 Mobile phones and a HP laptop suspected to have been used in the heist," adds DCI.

Francis Mairura was taken to armed Mombasa to face prosecution for fraud. 

Cases of online fraud have been on the rise in Kenya. The fraud is often carried out by tech-savvy young people and targets banks, micro-finance institutions (and Saccos), and banks. 

In Mulot town at the border of Narok and Bomet counties, several suspects have been nabbed in recent past over such scams. 

One of the scams' alleged mastermind David Mutai alias Hillary Langat Matindwet, is facing fraud charges at a Kiambu court. 

Earlier this month, he was released on a cash bail of KSh300,000 or a bond of KSh500,000 with a surety of similar amount.  

Matindwet was arrested on December 30, 2022.