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Police bust cartel linked to sale of SGR train tickets in black market


Police in Mombasa have arrested and charged in court four people suspected to be masterminds of a cartel that hoards SGR train tickets for profit.

The cartel is accused of colluding with Madaraka Express staff to create an artificial shortage of the tickets. They then offer them to stranded and desperate travelers for double the prices.

The four are said to have bought all train tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The train tickets are officially supposed to be available to the general public three days before travel.

The four suspects were on Monday arraigned in a Mombasa court. They are Hilder Wanjala, Maureen Gatwiri, Richard Githinji and Jimmi Muriungi.

DENIED OFFENSE

They were arraigned before Senior Resident Magistrate Edigah Kagoni where they denied selling new train tickets without the authority of Kenya Railways Corporation.

The offence was allegedly committed on diverse dates between June 1 and July 14 at Mahogany Company Limited in Mtwapa town within Kilifi county.

Mr Jabes Ochieng was separately charged with similar offence.

He allegedly committed the offence with others not before court at Mombasa Railways Terminus in Miritini area within Mombasa County.

He also denied the offence he allegedly committed on July 13,2017.

Lawyers Samuel Odhiambo and Enock Ratemo made a separate applications seeking their clients be released on reasonable bond term.

FOUND WITH SH50K

Mr Ratemo told the court the accused persons were arrested on Friday and one of them found with Sh 50,000.

Prosecuting counsel Lydia Kagori told the court that the money recovered could be used as exhibit in the case.

The magistrate released each of the accused person on Sh 10,000 cash bail and directed both cases be mentioned on July 31.