Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission have arrested a suspected fraudster who’s been reportedly impersonating a Nairobi county official.
The commission says the male suspect passed himself off as the personal assistant to the county secretary of Nairobi City County.
The specific offence that landed him in trouble, EACC said, was when he demanded Sh100,000 bribe from a complainant as an inducement to facilitate his employment as a cleaner in the county government.
"The suspect hoodwinked the complainant into believing that as the “PA to the CS,” he enjoyed massive influence in the affairs of the county and would promptly facilitate issuance of an employment letter after the complainant buys him “tea” at Sh100,000,” EACC said in a statement.
The commission said the complainant later reported the matter prompting EACC detectives to mount an operation leading to the arrest of the suspect outside a city restaurant within the Central Business District.
EACC said the suspect was arrested as soon after he received the Sh100,000 bribe he had demanded from his would-be victim.
“He was escorted to EACC Integrity Centre Police Station where he was processed and later detained at Kilimani Police Station awaiting further interview and statement recording today,” EACC said.
Impersonation is a criminal offence under Kenya law.
Section 382(1) of the Penal Code states that “any person who, with intent to defraud any person, falsely represents himself to be some other person, living or dead, is guilty of a misdemeanor”.
The code does not, however, provide specific punishment for misdemeanours but says a misdemeanor shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or with a fine, or with both.
