Passy Ma Trevor: Court freezes bank accounts of suspected fraudster linked to Sh350 million scam

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has obtained orders from the court to freeze six bank accounts belonging to a fraud suspect under investigation for defrauding unsuspecting investors of more than Sh350 million.

Detective Constable Justin Mutwiri of Kasarani DCI offices obtained the orders from Senior Resident Magistrate Stephanie Bett of the Makadara Law Courts to freeze Pascaline Peter's (Passy Ma Trevor) accounts held in different banks to build evidence.

Pascaline is in custody at the Kasarani police station where DCI is holding her while investigating cases of cheating and conspiracy to defraud contrary to sections 315 and 317 of the Penal Code respectively.

In an affidavit filed at the court, Mutwiri said the orders sought in the notice of motion are necessary to facilitate the collection of confirmatory evidence regarding the payment made to the accounts.

"And I pray this court to issue a warrant to allow me access, freeze and demand to be supplied with certified copies of the account opening documents and statements for the period between January 1, 2023, and September 12, 2024, in respect of the (bank accounts) respectively," the detective stated.

The detective says most of the fraud cases under investigation were reported at DCI headquarters before they were referred to Kasarani DCI offices which is Pascaline's area of operation.

Others were reported at the Kasarani, Muthaiga, Mombasa Road and Embakasi police stations among others.

Most of the victims of the fraud allegedly lost between Sh4 million and Sh9 million through banks and Mpesa. It took more than a year before they discovered they had been conned.

The suspect duped more than 300 gullible investors that she was running an investment project that would earn them a monthly return on interest of 23.5 per cent.

"On diverse dates between January 1, 2023, and September 12, 2024, hundreds of Kenyans sent various amounts of money totalling more than Sh350 million believing that they would start earning a monthly return on interest," Mutwiri says in documents filed in court.

"In August 2024, (Pascaline) went into hiding and switched off her mobile phone when complainants asked for a return on investments."

Pascaline was arrested at her hiding in Kantafu, Machakos County, following the involvement of intelligence that helped locate her. She will remain in custody until October 17 when she is expected to be charged if investigations by DCI will have been completed.