A businessman who promised to buy his clients direct air tickets to Austria and Zambia was yesterday charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
John Akugre was charged before Kibera Senior Resident Magistrate Barbara Ojoo. He denied the charges.
He was accused of obtaining Sh40,000 from Miriam Chepkoskei in the period between April 27 and May 12.
He was also charged on another count of stealing Sh9,100 from Margret Wairimu by promising her that he was in a position to buy her a direct air ticket to Lusaka Zambia.
The complainants allege that the businessman switched off his phone and never picked their calls after failing to deliver on his promises.
After some hours of waiting, they decided to report the matter to Kilimani Police station which led to his arrest.
Yesterday Akugre told court that the two complainants were good people but lacked patience.
He said that he was a man who stood by his words and had a plan to fix them to the said countries without any delay but they decided to let him down.
Akugre said that he was already in the process of processing their money so as to pay them back in three weeks time and asked the court for forgiveness.
He told the court that if the police gave him back his phone, he would be able to call many of his other clients who would give him cash to pay the complainants.
The prosecution said that the phone was not an exhibit and requested he be given back.
The magistrate ordered his phone returned to him and advised the prosecution to mediate between the complainant and the accused.
Ojoo directed the matter be mentioned after two weeks for further directions.
