BY SAM ALFAN.
Four people suspected to be part of a syndicate that has been committing fraud through sim-card swapping have been arraigned before a Milimani court.
In the first file, Eutycus Muguna Mutembei and Ayugu Eugene Shivachi are charged with conspiracy to steal. The court heard that the duo stole Sh 257,000 from Kenya Commercial Bank account No. 1138148075 in the name of a deceased person Amos Ngata Muiruri.
The two are alleged to have committed the offence on diverse dates between 7th and 9thDecember 2020 at an unknown place within Kenya, jointly with others not before court.
Mutembei and Shivachi are also facing other charges of conspiring to steal after they allegedly stole Sh997,000 from NCBA bank account no. 1021006009626 in the name of Muiruri, another 979,830 from Equity Bank in the name of the deceased and another signatory by the name Hiram Muiruri, and 650,000 from Equity Bank account in the name of Pentafarm.
They are also accused of unauthorized access to data at KCB and Equity bank accounts in the name of Muiruri and Pentafarm on 8th December 2020 at an unknown bank within Kenya.
They denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku who granted them a bond of Sh1 million and one surety of a similar or alternative cash bail of Sh500,000.
In another file, Mutembei and Shivachi are charged alongside Morris Koome Riungu and Jane Wacuka Gathogo with preparation to steal.
The court heard that on February 11, 2021 along Thika-Makutano Road at Makuyu area in Murang’a county, not being at their place of abode, the four had with them articles for use in connection with stealing.
It is alleged that the four were found with 39 Safaricom sim-cards registered under different subscribers which they could not satisfactory account for.
They all denied the charges before the same court and were granted a bond of Sh300,000 and one surety of a similar amount or alternative cash bail of Sh200,000 with one contact person.
The cases will be mentioned on 3rd March 2021 for pretrial and fixing of a hearing date.
