By TONY MUSISI
A 32-year-old Eldoret-based recruitment agent has been charged with allegedly defrauding a resident magistrate of Sh350,000 after falsely promising to secure an overseas job for her sister.
Charles Onyimbo Monayo appeared before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Kimani Mukabi and pleaded not guilty to the fraud-related charge.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that on diverse dates between February 14 and February 17, 2025, in Eldoret town, Monayo, together with others not before the court, obtained Sh350,000 from Linet Lusweti with intent to defraud her.
Monayo is accused of obtaining the money by falsely pretending that he was in a position to facilitate the travel of Lusweti’s sister, Faith Lusweti, to Norway to take up a job opportunity, a claim the prosecution says he knew to be false.
Lusweti, a judicial officer based in Milimani, Nairobi, is said to have paid Sh240,000 into a bank account provided by Monayo as the first instalment on February 14, 2025.
The payment was allegedly made after Monayo promised that her sister would be airlifted to Norway within three weeks to take up the promised job.
Three days later, on February 17, Lusweti allegedly paid the remaining Sh110,000 after the accused assured her that arrangements for her sister’s travel were at an advanced stage.
However, the prosecution alleges that after receiving the full amount, Monayo started dodging Lusweti and avoiding her calls whenever she sought updates on her sister’s travel arrangements.
The judicial officer eventually became suspicious after the promised travel failed to materialise and travelled from her workstation in Nairobi County to Eldoret, where she reported the matter at Eldoret Central Police Station.
The complaint triggered investigations into the alleged overseas employment scam, with detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Eldoret unit tracing Monayo to his hideout.
He was arrested by a team of DCI officers on July 17 and detained at Eldoret Central Police Station before being taken to court.
After pleading not guilty, Monayo asked the court to release him on reasonable bond or bail terms, saying he wanted to regain his freedom and prepare for the trial.
“Your Honour, I kindly ask that you grant me reasonable bond or bail terms so that I can regain my freedom. I also ask to be supplied with witness statements and any other documents,” he told the court.
The prosecution did not oppose his release on bail or bond and assured the court that the accused would be supplied with the witness statements and other documents that would be relied upon during the trial.
Three key witnesses have been lined up by the prosecution to testify against Monayo.
They include Lusweti, her sister Faith and the investigating officer, Police Constable Francis Anyanzwa, who is attached to the DCI Eldoret office.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mukabi directed that Monayo be released on a bond of Sh300,000 or an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000.
The case will be mentioned on August 25 for a pre-trial conference.
