How farmer accessed unique bank account from new sim card
A farmer stunned a Nairobi court by wondering why he was being prosecuted over Sh402,000 he was asked to collect from Cooperative Bank Limited through his mobile phone.
“I received a text message that I should access funds by dialing *667#,” Jared Atambo told Milimani chief magistrate Wendy Kagendo.
He said he was alarmed to be told he stole the money yet the messages were sent to his mobile phone.
“I thought I had won Lotto, Tatua tatu, or Shabiki .com when I received the money since I had been participating in betting,” the accused told the court.
He stressed that there was no reason to doubt the messages as he had been trying his luck at betting.
Atambo who is charged with stealing the said amount from the bank is alleged to have committed the offence between May and July 2022 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya.
The prosecution states the account holder, is one Henry Thuita, who lives in the United States of America.
Thuita alerted the bank that there was a fraudulent mobile transaction in his bank account upon his return from USA in July 2022.
Investigations revealed his mobile number became inactive when he moved to the USA for greener pastures.
The service provider namely then sold the said mobile number to Atambo.
It is alleged that the accused accessed the bank account by dialing *667# through the said number and began withdrawing the amount within two months.
Ms Kagendo told the accused the explanation he volunteered amounts to a plea of not guilty then granted him a cash bail of Sh200,000 in the event he fails to pay a bond of Sh500,000.
The case will be mentioned in a fortnight for fixing of hearing dates.
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