- The accused persons were arrested in Nakuru and Kitale on February 8, 2023, and the DCI wanted to hold them longer to complete their investigation.
- Nyasinga claims that more than 123,000 Mobile phone subscribers opted into Fuliza and took up the loans between January and July 2022.
Eight accused persons linked to the Sh449 million Fuliza fraud scheme will remain in custody until Friday when the court will rule on their bail.
This is after Milimani chief magistrate Susan Shitubi, who is handling the matter failed to sit as she was said to be unwell.
The matter was directed to be mentioned on February 17, when the magistrate will be available.
On Monday, the eight accused persons were charged with stealing more than Sh449 million from NCBA bank.
Peter Gitahi Wambui, Isaac Kipkemoi, Gideon Rono, Moses Rono, Collins Kipyegon, Maxwell Njamba, Edwin Kipkorir and Gideon Kirui were charged with 13 counts, among them conspiracy to commit a felony and being in possession of proceeds of crime namely motor vehicles.
In the first count, the suspects are accused that between January 1, 2022, and July 4, 2022, at an unknown place in the Republic of Kenya, they jointly conspired to steal Sh449,647 the property of NCBA.
They, however, denied the charges and pleaded for lenient bond terms.
Last week, the court heard that some of the accused persons were students and others were in teaching practice.
The accused persons were arrested in Nakuru and Kitale on February 8, 2023, and the DCI wanted to hold them longer to complete their investigation.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects fraudulently obtained money from Fuliza, with no intentions of repaying.
The court heard that the complaint in the matter is Noah Cheptumo, the head of security and Investigations at NCBA bank
The investigating officer corporal Knocker Nyasinga, who is attached to the Banking Fraud Investigation unit, said Cheptumo requested them to carry investigations into fraudulent transactions perpetrated through their digital borrowing scheme, known as Fuliza leaving an exposure of Sh449,647.
Nyasinga claims that more than 123,000 Mobile phone subscribers opted into Fuliza and took up the loans between January and July 2022.
The SIM cards were, thereafter fraudulently vacated or switched off and efforts to reach out to the customers were unsuccessful.
The funds were transferred from the registered sim cards to various accounts and Mobile banking platforms.
“This is a clear case of fraud wherein respondents hatched a meticulous plan of acquiring several SIM cards, opening many bank accounts and applying for fuliza loans with intention of not paying back,” the investigations officer told the court.