How a Kenyan Living in the US Was Conned Sh10 Million by a Friend in Kenya

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken up a case where a Kenyan living in the US was reportedly conned Sh10 million by a 'friend' in Kenya.

This comes after activist Boniface Mwangi highlighted the matter on social media claiming that a senior police officer is helping the alleged fraudster escape justice.

The suspect, John Karundo Mukundi, alias Tony, is said to have lied to the diaspora man only identified as Nesphor that he had won a tender for supply of construction materials to a construction site in Nairobi's Westlands area.

Nesphor said he first met Tony in Kansas, USA in 2007 before meeting him again 10 years later to inform him he was going back to Kenya to join his father in the supply business.

After returning to Kenya, Tony maintained contact and after some time he revealed to him that he was opening a business; Blacky’s Bar and Restaurant in Hurlingham, Nairobi. It emerged later that he was not the owner of the entertainment joint.

A year later, Tony told Nesphor that he had secured a contract from Avic for supply of the materials but didn't have enough cash. He invited him to be his partner in the venture.

Lured by the seemingly sweet deal, Nesphor agreed to be his partner and tasked his father to be in charge. However, Tony quickly tricked Nesphor's dad and ended up conning him a total of $100,000 (Sh10 million) he sent for purchase of the construction materials.

Nesphor sent the cash through digital app Wave, which he says he drew from his personal savings and borrowing from family and friends.

In the alleged tender, Tony was to give Nesphor 50 percent of the Sh91.77 million, which Tony through doctored documents claimed was the profit from the tender.

"John Karumbo Mukundi conned Nesphor Sh10 million. The numbers that received the money: Tony’s, 0790 916 153; Tony’s sister, Caroline Wangui Muthui, whom he had claimed was the girlfriend, 0721 755 374 and 0715 119944," Boniface Mwangi said in a post.

Nesphor later established that Tony had defrauded another friend of Sh1 million, which he borrowed with a promise to repay in two weeks.

Nesphor also learnt that Tony had escaped the US after being sentenced to five years in prison.

“He had been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for filing false federal income tax returns. Tony had pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making false claims and 12 counts of wire fraud. In Kenya, he was a known conman and in court for allegedly assaulting a woman after she demanded Ksh 800,000 he owed her."

Boniface Mwangi in the post said Nesphor has been looking for Tony for the last one month, but that a flying squad officer has been frustrating his efforts.

“He and his dad gave statements and all the evidence they had. The Flying squad officer claim they went to Tony’s residence in Kasarani area, but he refused to come out, insisting that he could only do so with his lawyer. And then his family connections kicked into play. His father called a powerful officer, a Mr Kingori, who called the flying squad officers, told them to stand down and promised to arrest and bring Tony in for questioning himself. There was no further progress forthcoming from the flying squad after the call from Mr Kingori,” it says.

“Nesphor also reported the matter to Kasarani Police Station and a sympathetic officer shared with him a brief history of their encounter with Tony, who he said vandalizes people’s property and doesn’t fear the law, since his father allegedly a powerful man in the area. Kasarani Police relayed information about negative encounters with Tony, including rumours that he owned guns and took Nesphor to see Tony’s family residence, a huge imposing place with heavy security, electric fence and CCTV cameras,” adds the post.

In a tweet, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) asked activist Mwangi to supply it with more information on the matter.

"Good evening @bonifacemwangi. We will be more grateful if you share with us the OB number & Police Station where the matter was reported for us to investigate & take appropriate action. Thank you," DCI said.