- Senate report revealed that the firm was involved in a massive scam in which hundreds of desperate parents and candidates lost savings, land and belongings.
- The committee recommended that the company be blacklisted for at least five years from operating in Kenya
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
DCI now wants the director of the recruitment agency accused of conning jobseekers over Sh1 billion in Eldoret to be charged with obtaining monies through false presences.
However, senators have dismissed the proposed charges against Judy Chepchirchir, director of First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited, as weak.
Instead, they called on the Office Director of Public Prosecution to tighten the charges.
“We want the ODPP to reject the pretence charges. Forgery, influence and intimidation of witnesses should be the charges,” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said.
Appearing before the Senate Labour Committee on Tuesday, DCI officers led by Assistant Inspector of Police Paul Wachira who carried out investigations on the alleged fraud, said they have a tight case against the agency’s bosses.
“The investigating file has since been returned to the DPP with the recommendation to charge … Judy Chepchirchir with the offence of obtaining money by false pretenses contrary to section 313 of the penal code,” Wachira said.
Wachira that the DCI recorded statements from 201 victims who suffered in the hands of Jepchirchir.
This will be the second time they will be forwarding the file to ODPP after the DPP returned the initial file that had been presented for further investigations.
He said that the DPP then returned the file with the direction that they confirm whether certain overseas firms had a contract with the agency.
They are Mahad manpower, Friends manpower and Aletqan manpower all situated in Qatar.
Wachira added his office requested Interpol Qatar to provide the said information but has not been forthcoming.
The recruitment firm is among 20 others that the National Employment Authority said it has de-registered due to increased cases of malpractice.
The firm had promised over 8,000 youths in Uasin Gishu county World Cup jobs in Qatar.
The jobseekers paid between Sh40,000 to Sh200,000 bu the jobs did not materialise.
The sentiments by the DCI came on the day senators fined Jepchirchir Sh500,000 for snubbing Senate summons.
This is not the first time she has skipped such summons.
The summons came hours after the senators accused state agencies of protecting Jepchirchir as no action had been taken against her, one year later.
Last year, the committee, in a report, revealed that the firm was involved in a massive scam in which hundreds of desperate parents and candidates lost savings, land and belongings.
The committee recommended that the company be blacklisted for at least five years from operating in Kenya.
“The First-Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited and its other closely related and associated agencies to cease any further operations, recruitment and placement for a period of not less than five years and should be closed, monitored by DCI,” the report states.
The committee revealed how jobless youths including boda boda operators and casual labourers sold their property to secure the jobs abroad.
For instance, Kelvin Kipngetich, a 22-year-old from Lessos, who worked as a casual construction labourer, paid Sh40,400 to secure a vacancy as a security guard in Qatar.
Sammy Boiro, a boda boda rider in Eldoret, was forced to sell his bike for Sh60,000 to pay the agency Sh40,400.
On Tuesday, senators accused the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, ODPP and Commission for Administrative Justice of introducing bottlenecks to the investigations.
EACC claimed that the matter is not under its purview as it is touching on matters touching on the penal code and not economic crimes.
“We are satisfied that the offences made are under the penal code and not under anti-corruption and economic crimes act,” EACC director Mohamud Ahmed said.
CAJ, on the other hand, said they required about three months to investigate the matter while the DPP was accused of not taking the committee ‘seriously’ after he sent officers to represent him before it.
Cherargei said it was clear Jepchirchir was being protected by powerful individuals.
“I want to confirm that this lady is untouchable. EACC tells us that you are unable to deal with her and that is why you are running away from her, tell us.”
Kisii senator Richard Onyonka claimed that EACC had failed and thus ought to be disbanded to pave the way for another body.
For her part, nominated senator Gloria Orwaba sought to know whether EACC AND ODPP were happy to see innocent Kenyans suffering and that is why they are all quiet.
Kilifi senator Stewart Madzayo sought to know why DPP Renson Igonga who had been spotted around parliament precincts left in a huff yet he was exacted before the committee.
He said: “What is all this about this one person who seems untouchable, who is she, please tell us who she is, we want to know.”
Nominated senator George Mbugua said EACC was not interested in handling the matter because the woman is untouchable and this is why it has claimed that the issue is not under their purview.