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Suspects in Sh10m fake Uhuru phone call case want president as witness

February 27th, 2019 1 min read

Seven suspects who allegedly conned businessman Naushad Merali Sh10 million now want the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to produce President Uhuru Kenyatta as a witness.

Through their lawyer Cliff Ombeta, they say the number used to call Merali (0722208842) is Mr Kenyatta’s and there will be no case to answer if the president does not testify.

“A telephone number was cited in the affidavit by Inspector James Mwangi, but no annexure from any mobile phone provider has been presented to confirm if the numbers exist and who it is registered under,” said Ombetta.

The seven, Joseph Waswa, Duncan Muchai, Isaac Wajekeche, William Simiyu, David Luganya, Gilbert Kirunja, and Anthony Wafula were charged with obtaining Sh10 million from Akif Hamid Butt, the Finance Director of Sameer Africa.

PARCEL OF LAND

According to the charge sheet, Waswa, Muchai, Wajekeche, Simiyu, Luganya, Kirunja and Wafula are accused of obtaining Sh10 million from Akif Hamid Butt by falsely pretending they could sell to Sameer Africa a parcel of land known as LR No. 10090/118 in Milimani area, Nairobi.

Akif Hamid Butt, the Finance Director of Sameer Africa, allegedly wired the Sh10 million via electronic money transfer from Sameer Africa Bank account to an Equity Bank account in the name of Reuben Njuguna.

Njuguna has not been presented in court.

The suspects have been released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 each after chief magistrate Francis Andayi rejected an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to have them detained for 10 more days to enable police to conclude investigations

“The complainant was being contacted by the fraudsters using several telephone numbers purportedly from President Uhuru Kenyatta. He later realized he was dealing with fraudsters after he had already lost his Sh10 million shillings,” part of the affidavit said.