Court orders arrest of rogue dealer conning vehicle buyers

Newton Kigera alias Jermaine who is wanted for conning Kenyan vehicle buyers of millions in fake deals. /CAROLYNE KUBWA
Newton Kigera alias Jermaine who is wanted for conning Kenyan vehicle buyers of millions in fake deals. /CAROLYNE KUBWA

A Kibera court has issued a warrant of arrest against businessman Newton Kigera alias Jermaine.

Jermaine is being sought for obtaining money by pretending that he is a car importer.

The businessman, who is on the run, is facing cases in several courts across the country.

At the Kibera law court, he has been charged with obtaining Sh2.9 million from KQs captain Karanja Njenga.

The prosecution said that he received the money between October and December 2017 pretending that he would import vehicles for Karanja.

Kigera denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Elizabeth Juma and pleaded for a lenient cash bail.

In October, Juma released him on Sh1 million bond.

However, when the case came up for hearing on November 6, Jermaine skipped court claiming he was hospitalised at Genus Ruiru Family hospital.

However, when police visited the hospital, they realised that he had lied. The hospital wrote a letter to court denying ever admitting Jermaine.

In the letter, Genus Ruiru Family hospital asked the police to arrest Jermaine for forgery.

Vanesa Hamadi Mwachela, who pretended to be Jermaine's sister and presented the forged letter to the court, was arrested and charged with forgery and impersonation.

The case was re-scheduled for November 13 and Jermaine skipped court again, prompting the current arrest warrant.

Peter Kariuki, a horticultural farmer in Thika, also reported to the police that Jermaine conned him of Sh600,000 on similar grounds.

The suspect is also facing another case at the Kiambu Law Court where he was charged with obtaining Sh3.5 million from a Mr Wambugu.

He is also accused of conning Mombasa businessman Vimal Shah of a Toyota Dualis which he disabled its tracking system and deposited as security in court for a different case.

The prosecution also said that Jermaine is also accused of conning a Nairobi Hospital doctor of Sh1.3 million.

Detectives said he is facing another case in Kikuyu as well as several others in Mombasa.

The magistrate asked the police to arrest the suspect and ensure they present him in court as soon as possible.

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