BY NT CORRESPONDENT .
A car dealer has been detained for ten days to allow Police complete investigations over claims that he defrauding a car buyer Sh11 million.
Daniel Mwaura Hinga will remain in custody after Milimani Magistrate Nyamu allowed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to detain him as they conclude a probe into the matter.
The DCI through the investigating officer Sammy Shamala told the court that he is investigating Hinga with offence of obtaining money by false pretense which was reported at Parklands police station.
Shamala told the court that Hinga is is alleged to be a beneficiary of Sh11.6 million which he fraudulently and unlawfully obtained from Eugene Oigara.
It is alleged that he duped the buyer that he was in a position to import a motor vehicle BMW M3 valued at USD 2800 and additional trade in of another BMW X3 valued at Sh 3.4 million.
In the application filed in court, Oigara allegedly met Hinga through an online trading platform known as Driveline motors limited, a company which he used to defraud him, before closing down the offices which were based at Two Rivers.
The offences are said to have occurred on divers dates between 30 May, 2023 and 20th July 2023 within Westlands area.
Oigara trusted Hinga for the second time and sought his assistance to help him in the clearance of his imported motor vehicle make land rover defender which was at the port in Mombasa which he was send USD 31,000 instead he converted it for his personal gain.
The investigating officer told the court that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect upon receiving the money he transferred and bought other vehicles which are yet to recovered.
“There has been a public outcry over a chain of fraudsters posing as car dealers to defraud members of the public of their hard earned money and even reports made including Spring Valley police station report vide OB NO.12/20/7/2023 which we have informed members of the public to come for identification parade that we are yet to conduct,” says Investigating officer.
He said police are considering such a complex web of investigations, he could not finish investigation, including recovery of other motor vehicles believed to have been imported by the suspect and sold to other people and others hidden in Kilimani and Kiambu Road within a short period.
“Owing to the gravity of charge facing the Respondent herein and the fact that he has no known place of abode he poses a flight risk, releasing the suspects may interfere with the bank accounts which are suspected to have deposited money being the proceeds of crime,” investigating officer told the court.
