Man sentenced by Nakuru court over M-Pesa fraud

 

A 32-year-old man was on Tuesday sentenced to two years in jail by a Nakuru Court for fraudulent M-Pesa transaction. 

A 32-year-old man was on Tuesday sentenced to two years in jail for stealing from an M-PESA agent in a fraudulent transaction reversal incident.

Samuel Mwangi was accused of stealing Sh89,338 belonging to Sarah Oduor on January 12, 2016 within Nakuru Town, charges which he denied.

It was alleged that Mwangi pretended to withdraw from the M-Pesa agent but then claimed to have withdrawn from the wrong agent number and requested for a reversal of the transaction.

The court heard that the M-Pesa shop operator was duped into revealing vital information to an accomplice of the accused which led to the loss of the amount.

Mwangi is said to have given her his phone to call a number which was apparently appeared to be a genuine Safaricom customer care number but later she realized that she had been duped.

When she later learnt that she had lost the money, the M-Pesa shop operator reported the matter at the Nakuru Central police station.

Mwangi was arrested on February 11, 2016, when he was applying for a certificate of good conduct.

An M-Pesa printout produced before the court showed that on the said date, the money was sent to a certain Emanuel Kimani in Nairobi who was not traced, with some of the money being transferred to the account of the accused.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judicaster Nthuku said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was involved in the theft of the money.

Mwangi was later sentenced to two years behind bars with 14 days to appeal.