An ex KDF officer, who once served in the navy department, has been locked up at the Kerugoya police station after he was accused of defrauding Sh 450,000 from unsuspecting KDF recruits and forging KDF calling letters.
Robert Maina Murichu is alleged to have conned the said amount from Susan Wanjiku, a resident from Kirinyaga central after he convinced her that he was in a position to influence the recruitment process and offer positions to three of her kins.
Head of Criminal investigation Department in Kirinyaga Central, Samuel Agutu, confirmed the incident saying that the ex army officer has been hoodwinking unsuspecting and unsuccessful recruitees using different identities.
"The suspect who by then called himself a major Mburu, told the unsuspecting woman to deposit Sh50,000 as a down payment upon which he would clear the pending amount during the collection of the calling letter."
Upon inquiry, Agutu said that Wanjiku discovered that she was conned and sought help from Kerugoya Central police station.
It was at that point that the officers lay a trap for the suspect in collaboration with their counterparts from Nyeri county, where the suspect hails.
"He was nabbed after an ambush operation in Marua, Nyeri the same day he collected the balance."
After thorough investigation, the culprit was nabbed with an army service card that reflected his duties and reasons for his dismissal in 2009 from the army.
According to the card, the suspect was dismissed off his duty after he failed to complete his training.
Besides, the 35-year-old was also caught with three mobile phones, which Agutu says he used under different identities to call and con people.
The suspect was also caught with four KDF fake calling letters.
He is set to be arraigned on Monday morning at the Kerugoya law courts, where he will be charged with forgery and using dubious means to con unsuspecting KDF candidates.
Agutu has further urged the public to be on the lookout and hastily report such characters so that the law can deal with them.
"Police and army recruitment process is free and no one has the right to ask bribes from candidates," he said.
He also regretted that such processes are infiltrated by cons who hunt out for unsuccessful candidates and lure them by asking for bribes under the condition that they would help them sail through.