Former Kitui MCA, accomplice are serial fraudsters, EACC warns
EACC says the suspects have been intimidating senior government officials and parastatal heads by threatening them with graft charges before they were caught.
The former Kitui MCA and one of his accomplices arrested while impersonating Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigators had earlier been charged and convicted for a similar offence.
EACC detective John Nyagara says the former Chuluni Ward rep James Mbuvi and Mike Muthami Kasingi had been jointly charged and convicted in Anti-Corruption case number 8/2009.
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Kasingi has also been separately charged in court in Anti-Corruption case number 43/2007 but Nyangara did not disclose the status of the case.
The two suspects had previously recorded statements with the EACC on other matters of a similar nature – impersonating EACC detectives, according to Nyagara.
Nyagara made the disclosure in an affidavit filed before the Milimani Anti-Corruption court in Nairobi where he was making an application to be granted orders to detain the suspects for 14 days.
The detective is seeking orders from the court to detain Mbuvi, Kasingi and their accomplice Raphael Muthoka Kithembe at Kilimani police station pending investigations.
Nyangara said he is investigating a case of impersonating EACC investigators contrary to section 34 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) of 2003 against the three suspects.
The detective said preliminary investigations by the EACC reveal that the three suspects are serial fraudsters seeking benefit from members of the public in the guise of being employees of EACC as well as other institutions.
"The commission has commenced investigations in respect of the said suspicious activities and thus, it is necessary that the commission is given more time in order to conduct a thorough investigation and call for information from members of the public who have fallen victim," states Nyangara in the affidavit.
"I am apprehensive that the (three suspects), given an opportunity, shall go into hiding, influence witnesses and also tamper with the evidence in order to scuttle the investigations."
Mbuvi and his accomplices were arrested on March 11 at the Three Hut Hotel in Komarock estate, Nairobi following several complaints against them.
They were to meet a person they had "summoned" to shed light on issues under their "investigations" but the-would be victim lodged a complaint with EACC and the commission's sleuths arrested the three.
EACC says the suspects have been intimidating senior government officials and parastatal heads by threatening them with graft charges before they were caught.
Nyangara says the suspects are a flight risk given that they were very evasive in the days before their arrest.
"For purposes of the ongoing investigations, it is necessary for the said (suspects) to be held in custody for a period of at least 14 days to enable the conclusion of the investigation," Nyangara's affidavit reads.
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"I urge this court to grant the orders allowing for the investigations to proceed and as a matter of judicial authority, the same shall act as a deterrence to other persons who may have similar intentions."
Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa will make a ruling on the application on Friday (March 14, 2025 as the three suspects opposed the application.
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