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How M-Pesa agent lost Sh18,000 to fraudster posing as customer


A theft suspect rescued from a lynch mob by the police after allegedly stealing Sh18, 995 from an M-Pesa agent has been charges of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of the penal code.

Dennis Mwangi was charged with conspiring with others at large to obtain the money from John Mbithi Mutuku in Kirima area within Njiru sub county in Nairobi on June 12, 2023.

Mr Mwangi was also charged with obtaining money by false pretenses contrary to section 312 of the penal code as read with section 313 of the criminal procedure code where he is accused of colluding with others at large to defraud Mr Mbithi of Sh18, 995 while pretending he was withdrawing Sh500.

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On the day of the incident, the suspect went to Mr Mbithi’s shop and requested to withdraw Sh500.

Mr Mwangi later claimed that he had withdrawn the cash from a wrong agent and purportedly made calls to Safaricom customer care and handed the phone to Mr Mbithi.

The person on the phone gave Mr Mbithi instructions to reverse the transaction and after dialing numbers as he had been told, Mr Mbithi realized that Sh18, 995 had been transferred from his account to another number.

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At the same time, Mr Mwangi attempted to flee but Mr Mbithi gave chase and raised an alarm. The suspect was cornered by members of the public and subjected to mob injustice before police officers on patrol intervened and rescued him.

The officers took him to the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital where he was treated and discharged before he was arrested and later arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts.

The accused denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Mary Njagi and was released on a bond of Sh20,000. Hearing of the case starts on October 31, 2023.

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