Man Behind Con Scheme Targeting MPs Arrested in Tanzania

A man accused of extorting money from Members of Parliament by using fake Mpesa accounts in the name of Murang'a Woman Representative Sabina Chege has been arrested.

25-year-old Wazir Boniface Chacha was apprehended by police in Tarime, Tanzania on Sunday morning. Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti said the suspect was planning to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Tanzanian border.

"He will be in Nairobi to face various charges. He was arrested as he tried to sneak to DRC from Tanzania,” said Kinoti.

Kinoti said Chacha was nabbed after a well-coordinated operation between Kenyan police and their counterparts in Tanzania.

Chacha allegedly registered a phone number under the name of Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina and later used it to defraud MPs, Ministers and other high profile individuals.

“He used an ID number of a former MP to register an MPesa account in the name of Sabina Wanjiku Chege. He did this in Donholm and we have all the details,” said Kinoti.

Last week, DCI dispatched a team of detectives to pursue and apprehend Chacha. Police had last week placed a Sh20,000 reward on anyone with information about his whereabouts.

Chacha is a former worker at Devolution ministry and is said to be friends to several former MPs.