Nairobi News

A quack who allegedly defrauded a kidney patient of Sh1,781,000 falsely pretending he was in a position to facilitate his travel to India for a kidney transplant will spend a week in remand awaiting a court’s ruling on his bail and bind application after denying fraud charges.

Stanley Maina Macharia was remanded by Senior Principal Magistrate Hellen Okwany of the Makadara Law Courts after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) opposed bail and bond terms for him through Detective Sergeant Luke Marwa of Kasarani DCI offices.

Mr Macharia was charged with obtaining the money from Daniel Mwangiru Karichu on diverse dates between July and August this year contrary to section 313 of the Penal Code while falsely pretending he was in a position to facilitate his travel for the procedure knowing the same was untrue.

Mr Macharia is also facing a charge of personation contrary to section 382 of the Penal Code. He is accused of presenting himself as a doctor knowing the same was false in the process of defrauding the complainant.

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The accused is also facing two charges of forgery contrary to section 345 of the criminal procedure code where he is accused of forging a declaration of consent affidavit purported to be genuine documents filed by Mr Karichu and his kidney donor.

Mr Karichu, who has been battling a kidney disease for over 15 years, had gotten a recommendation for a transplant and was referred to Mr Macharia who claimed to be a doctor with connections in India where he purported to be able to link him with hospitals where he could go for the same.

The accused listed several documents that Mr Karichu needed to be able to make the medical trip.

The complainant was told that he had to deposit $26,500 before he was later told to pay an additional $15,500. Mr Karichu started sending the money to an account provided by the accused until he made payment of the total amount.

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Thereafter, Mr Macharia allegedly started demanding more money for payments that he had not disclosed to Mr Karichu when they were discussing the treatment costs.

Mr Karichu asked the accused to share some of the documents he had paid for and was given travel documents but after visiting the Indian Embassy in Nairobi, was informed that the same were forged.

The complainant reported the matter at Kasarani DCI offices and investigations established that Mr Macharia is not a medical doctor. The suspect was arrested at Thika Road Mall where he was to meet the complainant.

Mr Macharia made an application for lenient bail and bond terms through lawyer John Swaka. But Sgt. Marwa filed an affidavit to oppose the bail and bonds. He told the court that Mr Macharia was arrested in the process of defrauding another victim.

The detective said the suspect was uncooperative during investigations and declined to disclose where he lives which he said makes him a potential flight risk.

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