DCI clarifies bribery allegations against Kasarani police officers by woman in viral video

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has released an update on the probe involving two Kasarani detectives who allegedly defrauded a woman after she reported a case of a man she claims withheld money she had erroneously sent to him.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the DCI said it had established that the woman, Irene Waithera, visited a bank in Saudi Arabia to remit Ksh.413,000 to her sister who resides in Kenya.

The bank reportedly assured Waithera that her sister would receive the said money after three days, but that did not happen.

She hence went to inquire about the delay and found out that she had mistakenly sent the money to the wrong recipient, identified as William Otieno, instead.

“She was instructed to wait for three days before the money would reflect in her sister's account, but on expiry of the period, her sister confirmed that she had not received the money,” stated the DCI. 

Following various attempts by the bank to reverse the amount, they only managed to retract Ksh.171,000, as Otieno had already withdrawn the rest of the money, Ksh.242,000.

Waithera would later fly to Kenya to report the matter at the Kasarani Police Station, after which the case was taken up by the DCI Kasarani for investigations.

According to the DCI, the case was assigned to two detectives whereby they began the investigations, after which they traced the suspect to the Kenya-Tanzania border near Bande area.

Before the detectives caught up to him, Otieno had reportedly moved to Likoni area in Mombasa.

The DCI revealed that Otieno was apprehended on January 13, 2024, and eventually remanded at the Inuka Police Station in Likoni.

He was then arraigned in court after 24 hours as the law dictates, and released on a Ksh.22,000 cash bail. However, he deactivated his phone afterwards.

The detectives would later receive information on the suspect’s whereabouts on February 20, 2024, and consequently arrest him in Mombasa the next day.

“On February 22, the suspect was arraigned at Makadara Law Court where he was charged and granted bail of Sh200,000 with a surety of Sh400,000. The case will be mentioned on June 18, 2024, with its hearing scheduled for October 24, 2024,” noted the investigative agency.

The case is set for mention on June 18 and the hearing on October 24, 2024.

The DCI further assured that investigations is also being conducted on the two detectives Waithera accuses of conning her.