Suspected fraudster denied bail
A suspected serial fraudster accused of conning unsuspecting car buyers of their money in fake car deals has been charged with 10 counts of fraud related charges.
Meshack Mzaeh was charged with defrauding businessmen Jimmy Omari and Peter Maina of USD28, 000 (Sh3 Million) while falsely pretending to be in a position to import a Toyota Landcruiser for them from Japan and sell it to them.
Mzaeh is accused of committing the alleged fraud on April 12 contrary to section 313 of the Penal code.
The suspect is also facing three charges of making documents without authority where he is accused of forging shipment documents and a Kenya Bureau of Standards certificate.
He was also charged with three counts of uttering documents with intent to defraud where he allegedly uttered false documents to Omari and Maina to convince them he was in the process of importing a car.
The suspect was also charged with three counts of forgery after he allegedly forged copies of bills of lading, shipping documents with intent to deceive.
Omari lost the cash in April after transferring the amount to a bank account given to him by suspected Mzaeh who was purporting to import a Toyota Prado for him.
Mzaeh had telephoned Omari inviting him for a meeting to discuss a potential business deal where he offered to link him with a company (Trade N Trade Company limited) that imports used cars from Japan to Kenya.
He had gotten Omari’s phone number from a Whatsapp group for car importers and traders where Omari had expressed interests in importing a Prado.
The suspect informed Omari he was in constant communication with the company’s salesman and shared his contacts.
Mzaeh told Omari he was in the process of importing a Prado for a client which had left Japan for Mombasa port.
Omari then received a call purportedly from the company’s salesman in Japan who claimed he had been given his number by Mnzaeh who was importing a Prado.
He received documents ascertaining that Mzaeh had imported a Prado as he claimed his client had difficulties in making payment and wanted to sell the car to Omari if he was able to pay.
On April 12, Omari transferred the cash to a bank account given by Mzaeh.
Omari never received the car as promised. He reported the matter at Langata police station on April 26 and Mnzaeh was arrested.
Inspector of police Daniel Opiyo of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of Langata DCI offices opposed bail and bond terms for the suspect after he denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Monica Maroro of Kibera law courts.
Opiyo said Mzaeh is under investigations for various other similar cases and has jumped bail in the past and is therefore a flight risk. He said the police are expecting more members of the public to lodge their complaints after learning of Mzaeh’s arrest.
The suspect was denied bail and bonds and will remain in remand until August 1 when the matter will be mentioned for pre-trial and fixing of hearing dates.