The recent arrest of a businesswoman on accusations of orchestrating a Sh350 million fraud, where investors lost millions of shillings, rekindles similar cases in which suspects are yet to pay the price for plunging their victims into financial distress.
On Monday, Ms Pascaline Peter alias Passy Matravor will be arraigned in court to answer to charges including obtaining by pretense through her company, Pafrim Investment Limited.
Police say more than 200 individuals invested in plots sold by her firm, but so far only 106 have filed official complaints.
Most victims of these frauds have to spend long years in a tiresome fight for justice with the hope that one day they will get back their money, but that has never been the case.
Other companies that have left Kenyans in tears after losing millions in questionable get-rich-quick-schemes are Ekeza Sacco of politician David Kariuki alias Gakuyo, Suraya Housing Scheme, Lesedi Developers, and Banda Homes.
Others are Gifford Agencies, Worthstart, Dinara Developers, Kamuthi Housing Cooperative, and Public Likes.
In February, Mr Gakuyo was charged with conspiring to defraud members of the public of over Sh1 billion on the pretext that he was able to invest in real estate and the money market. The televangelist denied 12 counts of conspiracy to defraud and obtain money through pretences and was released on an Sh10 million cash bail as the trial continued.
A Senate committee has since ordered First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency run by Ms Judy Jepchirchir to refund thousands of victims, who paid millions of shillings for jobs that never were.
City Pastor James Wanjohi of Worthstart Africa is also in trouble with over Sh600 million and over 4000 victims say they paid his firm for fake jobs.
Pastor James Wanjohi of Jesus Culture Ministries in Roysambu, Nairobi County. The pastor is also the founder Worthstart Africa, a recruitment agency.
Photo credit: Pool
In Ms Peter’s case, she was arrested by officers drawn from Kasarani Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), while at her home in Kantafu in Machakos County.
The suspect operated in the shylock industry and also asked people to invest in her real estate business.
Her victims went to the DCI Headquarters along Kiambu Road where they officially launched complaints after they were unable to trace her after paying the cash.
For two weeks until her arrest last Thursday, Ms Peter could not be found by police with a senior detective privy to the probe telling the Nation that her phone signals could be traced to Tigoni and Kabuku Shopping Centre in Kiambu County.
The phone signal was later traced to Naivasha, Narok, and Kericho Counties. That was until she was tracked down to her home.
According to DCI boss Mohamed Amin, the scheme was well-orchestrated, which involved asking victims to deposit large sums of money into four different bank accounts across Equity Bank, Cooperative Bank, Stanbic Bank, and Kingdom Bank.
Pascaline Peter alias Passy Ma Trevor, 36, who has been linked to a Sh350 million fraud case.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
“She also falsely claimed that she was running a successful real estate company that she used as bait but once payments were made, she switched off her mobile phone and went into hiding,” Mr Amin said.
The Nation has learnt that some of the projects that she fronted and which people invested in include Imani Gardens Phase 1 where the price of a plot measuring 50 by 100 ranged between Sh800,000 to Sh900,000.
The second project is Neema Gardens- Phase 2 where the price of a plot ranged between Sh450,000 to Sh500,000. The third project is Imani Gardens Phase 3 where a plot measuring 50 by 100 was sold between Sh800,000 and Sh900,000.
All the plots in the three projects, according to her, had been sold out and she was currently selling Taraji Gardens- Phase 4 where a plot was being sold for between Sh650,000 and Sh700,000.
All the projects, she said, are located on Koma Hills which is along Kang’undo Road.
In her description of the company, she says it is a leading real estate rental in Kenya and that the entire purchase of the land takes between 30 to 90 days.
“The entire purchase process typically takes 30 to 90 days, and we strive to expedite title deed processing whenever possible, ideally completing it within 30 days,” she indicates.
She further states that the whole project involves smart home design, beautiful scenery, exceptional lifestyle, and elaborate 24/7 security.
Ms Peter says that the company’s mission is to provide an outstanding level of service, excellence, and expertise in the real estate market.
Ms Jepchirchir’s First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency was ordered to refund Sh1 billion which was taken from over 8,000 youths.
The firm based in Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County was accused of luring youths into believing that they could secure jobs abroad.
Most of the victims were from Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nakuru, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
In September 2023, the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare directed the recruitment agency to refund the cash to the victims. However, to date, this is yet to happen and no action has ever been taken since she appeared before the Senate committee.
The committee at the time also said that property owned by Ms Jepchirchir and her co-accused Faith Wariga be repossessed by the Assets and Recovery Agency if they did not refund the said amount.
The firm was also accused of issuing bouncing checks to the victims which led to a petition being filed by Mr Kimutai Kirui and Chepses Arap Koech asking the Senate to revisit the matter.
On September 4, 2024, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency was among 20 companies that were deregistered by the National Employment Authority (NEA).
According to NEA, the company wanted to get back to the diaspora recruitment sector using a different registration under Royal Capital Placement Company.
In yet another case, it took the intervention of elders to arrest Mr Anthony Masika who is accused of allegedly conning victims Sh500 million in fake overseas jobs.
On Monday, September 9, 2024, Mr Masika was arraigned in court and Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyai allowed the police to hold the businessman for 21 days.
Police say Mr Masika is the director of Gifford Agencies HR and marketing services that promised to help job seekers secure employment in Turkey and Canada.
Constable James Barasa attached to the DCI Soy sub-county of Uasin Gishu told the court that Masika was being investigated over cases of obtaining money by pretense.
In April 2024, police raided Mr Wanjohi’s Worthstart Africa offices in Pension Towers after thousands of victims reported they had paid for overseas jobs that never materialized.
Police say the prospective job seekers paid between Sh100,000 to Sh140,000 to the company for the processing of their overseas job applications and visa processing.
In his defence, the businessman said his firm never promised jobs but was only facilitating travel.
"This is a witch hunt. It is something that is being targeted to my personality because I am the only person nationwide being shown on TV with a company that does not give visas," he said.
According to him, his company by the time his woes kicked off had only existed for one year and it was difficult to amass Sh600 million.
He said that his company was only doing visa applications and that there was no 100 percent guarantee that one could get it.
