- Reiner Hans Hermann Kreplin aged 66, claims his Kenyan fiancée, 24, from Siaya, disappeared with 40,000 euros from his Harbour key villa in Malindi on December 10 last year.
- He wondered how it had taken that long to bring the suspect to the book yet the security personnel have all the machinery to track her.
A German investor has claimed his life is in danger after his Kenyan fiancée allegedly stole Sh5.4 million from his villa at Harbour Key cottages in Malindi.
The German investor who lost Sh5.4 million to his Kenyan fiancée in Malindi wants the police to arrest her so as to get his money back and be assured of his safety.
Reiner Hans Hermann Kreplin aged 66, claims his Kenyan fiancée, 24, from Siaya, disappeared with 40,000 euros from his Harbour key villa in Malindi on December 10 last year.
Speaking on phone from his hideout which he did not disclose for what he termed safety reasons, Kreplin said the police officer who was investigating the case from Malindi has taken too long to arrest the woman.
He wondered how it had taken that long to bring the suspect to the book yet the security personnel have all the machinery to track her.
"I am currently out of Kenya in one of the East African countries for my safety because of the threats I was receiving from anonymous people who were always finding my location,’’ he said.
Kreplin said when he reported the case at Malindi police station, a police officer attached to the tourism police unit was assigned the case and has been supporting him but the suspect is yet to be arrested,” he said.
He said early last month, he went to Siaya to the family of the fiancée to inquire about her whereabouts, but they told him she has not been reachable for months since her disappearance.
He said the money she stole was part of a large sum of money he got after selling one of his properties in Germany and planned on buying another villa on a 50/50 ownership agreement with the fiancee only for her to steal the 40,000 euros.
Kreplin said he had plans to initiate an irrigation project in the drought-stricken area of Ganze, Kilifi county and a recycling plant all of which would cost 5 million Euros but the plan has since stalled due to his misfortunes.
When contacted, Malindi sub-county police commander John Kemboi said he was following up on the matter.
Kreplin first came to Kenya in January 2019 as a tourist from Ethiopia where he was trying to make other investments but found it difficult.
The German said he came here to find out what Kenya had to offer as an investment opportunity and was advised by friends from Nairobi to get a house in Mtwapa near Pirates beach which he did two days later.
He said he first met the woman at Samala hotel in Mtwapa North beach next to Jumaya Christian resort which is where he was staying.
Kreplin said she invited him for a party at Danka club then after clubbing she showed him her room which was empty with a single mattress and this made him pity her and bought her a Nokia smartphone worth Sh12,000.
Months later they started dating after getting to know each other better. Kreplin said he then moved to Malindi and found the villa which he bought while they were together in June.
He said he trusted the woman because she was an accountant appointed to train village girls by a government organisation and this convinced him of her good character.
“From May, I hired her in my company RasAlkhaimah as a local representative and gave her a business card for the translation and general relations manager with a monthly salary of Sh20,000,” he said.
Kreplin said in October 2019 he bought her a boda boda after buying a new Nissan note to enable her to get some money from it as she was always interested in investing for returns.
His plan was to officially marry her and in October engaged her. He said they also visited her family in Siaya and supported them financially as he knew that he was part of the family.
He said on a material day he went for a morning coffee in Osteria restaurant in Malindi but on coming back he did not find her and she has never come back since.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara