Policeman charged over threat to leak woman’s nude photos
A police officer was on Monday charged in a Nairobi court with attempting to extort Sh 500,000 from a businesswoman by threatening to send her nude pictures to her husband.
The court heard that Nicholas Omondi from Voi attempted to blackmail the complainant, identified as Ms Janice Mwende, on various dates between February and November 2015 at Kahawa Sukari, Nairobi.
He denied the charge.
The prosecution said that the offence was jointly committed with Mr Henry Onyach Gwendo who also denied the charge.
They were charged with demanding property by written threats, contrary to section 299 of the penal code, if the threat was not complied with.
According to court documents, the complainant had sometime in February received a text from Mr Gwendo stating that he had her nude photographs.
“The suspect further went ahead and said that if he will not be given Sh 500,000 he would forward the photos on the internet,” the police report reads.
It stated that the complainant pleaded with the suspect and sent Sh 5,000 to an M-Pesa line given to her by the suspect.
“The matter cooled off until November 2015 when the complainant was called again and told to send more money,” the police report adds.
She reportedly sent another Sh 5,000 but the suspect requested for more and she declined.
The suspect, according to court documents, later called the complainant’s husband and the matter was reported to the police.
Investigations were launched and led to the arrest of the police officer in Voi, the prosecution said.
They have been each released on Sh 50,000 cash bail.
The prosecution said “certain exhibits” were recovered from the suspects.
The hearing of the case will be on January 26, 2016.