•Gitu, is a free man after being involved in a new crime wave involving brokers and insiders at the NTSA.
•Gitu obtained over Sh4.4 million through forged logbooks of four vehicles belonging to unsuspecting vehicle owners.
Image: THE STAR
A serial motor vehicle registration fraudster involved in a multi-million shillings logbooks forgery enterprise, was bailed out on a Sh100,000 cash bail.
In a rulling on Tuesday by a Makadara Court George Gitu, is now a free man after being involved in a new crime wave involving brokers and insiders at the NTSA, who obtain credit from micro-finance institutions using forged logbooks.
This is after an application by sleuths seeking further custodial orders to detain the suspect and complete investigations were turned down.
Gitu obtained over Sh4.4 million through forged logbooks of four vehicles belonging to unsuspecting vehicle owners.
"Gitu was working with crooked NTSA officials at the ICT department where he was registered in the TIMS system as the bonafide owner of KCD 974Z, Isuzu D-Max, KCR, 280R Toyota Vanguard and KCL 922G, Toyota Landcruiser Prado then fraudulently obtained credit using the vehicles’ forged documents," DCI reported.
Image: DCI
He acquired Sh1.5 million from Northwave Credit, Sh1.4 million from Momentum Ltd and Sh843,000, from Bidii Credit and the logbooks were reverted to their original owners, in a well choreographed scheme similar to a Hollywood movie script.
Owners were left at the mercy of ruthless auctioneers who later went for the vehicles that had been used as security, to finance Githu’s and his accomplices lifestyles.
The fraudsters pose as legitimate businessmen in the thriving property, land and logistics sectors to com people.
"All they do is identify a vehicle on the road or at a parking slot, before contacting their partners in crime at the NTSA and have the vehicle registered in their names. They then rush to micro-finance institutions and obtain credit," DCI tweeted.
In one sad case, a physically challenged woman based in Thika, who had received the Toyota Prado as a gift from her daughter, was shocked beyond words after realizing that her vehicle had been used as collateral by Gitu to acquire a loan of Sh1.5 million.
DCI have arrested five suspects in this syndicate and crime busters based at NTSA, since the crackdown began in December last year following a public outcry.
The detectives who have been joined by their counterparts from the Crime Research & Intelligence Bureau, are currently on the trail of three more suspects who are part of this miscreant gang, that has left vehicle owners in the country living in fear of their vehicles being auctioned for defaulting on loans they know nothing about.