DCI submits dossier on Sh1.4bn overseas jobs scam to DPP
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- Each job seeker paid between Sh120,000 to Sh140,000 to James Wanjohi's companies.
- Mr Renson Ingonga, the DPP, confirmed receipt of the files with the police findings.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says it has “overwhelming” evidence after completing a probe against directors of companies accused of conning job seekers Sh1.4 billion.
DCI has forwarded the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), requesting that Mr James Wanjohi be prosecuted for the alleged fraud that saw thousands of victims lose Sh600 million for non-existent overseas jobs.
Each job seeker paid between Sh120,000 to Sh140,000 to his companies, WorthStart Africa and WorthStart Travel Agency, which promised to secure housekeeping, caregiver and hotelier jobs in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Police have also forwarded another file to the DPP, seeking the prosecution of two directors of a recruitment agency implicated in another Sh800 million jobs scandal.
Amble Beginning Consult, previously known as Frac and Calp, is owned by Alphonce Kioko Kivundi, Nancy Gathoni Muriuki, Auki and Sheiya Kavaya.
Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Officer Njeru Nthigah told Nation.Africa they had forwarded the dossier against Mr Wanjohi to the DPP for review.
''We have mined through what his companies WorthStart Africa and WorthStart Travel Agency advertised against what job seekers were promised and what they finally got. We have realised that everything was made up. For instance, the companies would advertise foreign job opportunities and desperate job seekers would pay between Sh120,000 to Sh140,000, but on arrival at his office, they would be given visa facilitation forms to sign,’’ Mr Nthigah said.
He added that they had overwhelming evidence of fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.
''We have forwarded the files and justified why we have arrived at that and why he should be held accountable. We want him to be admitted to the charges because there is overwhelming evidence on who was paid what and how the money was withdrawn from the banks,’’ Mr Nthigah explained.
Mr Renson Ingonga, the DPP, confirmed receipt of the files with the police findings. His officers are reviewing the report to make recommendations to either approve the charges or order further investigations.
''We have received the investigation files and a team is currently working on them,’’ Mr Ingonga said through the office’s communications team.
In April, Daily Nation exclusively reported the job frauds that saw Wanjohi, Kioko, Gathoni and Kavaya placed under a no-fly watch by police.
The “request for stop order” against the four cited police “investigations into allegations of labour immigrations and fraud estimated at Sh600 million”.
“For the purpose of investigations, please place a stop order and furnish this office with travel history in respect of the above captioned persons,’’ read the letter dated April 23, from Mr Nthigah to the director of immigrations.
Mr Wanjohi and his associates placed advertisements in the mainstream media and social media for job openings in Europe.
But those who paid the money were not given a job contract, but a visa facilitation contract. Canadian visas cost between Sh15,000 to Sh20,000.
Investigators said the firms intentionally did poor documentation and cooked financial statements during visa applications, which saw mass rejection and candidates issued with visa bans of five years.
Since the scheme involved companies with different names such as WorthStart Africa, WorthStart Travel Agency and WorthStart Barista Technical Institute, applicants were later taken around in circles under the guise that their contracts were erroneous and fell under the wrong company category.
