KILIFI: Three suspected fraudsters have been arraigned before the Kilifi Chief Magistrate’s Court following an elaborate multi-million-shilling procurement scheme that targeted unsuspecting business suppliers across Kilifi and Laikipia counties.

The suspects, identified as Naftali Kimani Chege (alias Ignatius Njenga), Kenneth Thuo Karanja (alias Bosco Mbugua Ng’ang’a), and Michael Munene, are accused of posing as officials from the Programme Against Malnutrition (PAM) to dupe traders into delivering goods without payment.

Sh15million scam

According to court filings, the trio allegedly lured local suppliers into fraudulent procurement agreements under the guise of an NGO operation.

Once the items were delivered, the suspects defaulted on payments and went into hiding.

In Kilifi County alone, the suspects allegedly swindled six suppliers out of goods valued at Sh14,952,990.

The fraudulently acquired goods included; bulk cooking oil and rice, sanitary towels, bar soap, and milk

Investigations gained traction after coordinated operations conducted by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers targeting offices leased by the syndicate in the Rojo area of Kilifi County and Nanyuki Town in Laikipia County.

During the raids, detectives seized several key exhibits to support the prosecution’s case, including: invoices, receipts, and procurement records, SIM cards used in the operation, supplier registration documents, promotional banners bearing the Programme Against Malnutrition (PAM) logo

Following their arrest in Nanyuki, the suspects were escorted to DCI headquarters in Kilifi and subsequently presented before the Kilifi Law Courts.

The court granted investigators 21 days of detention to complete inquiries and process the seized evidence. DCI officers are currently pursuing additional leads to track down missing goods and identify other accomplices believed to be involved in the syndicate.