Pastor, 4 others charged with fraud in Kisumu

Five people were on Wednesday charged in a Kisumu court with conspiracy to defraud an insurance company of Sh8 million.

The cleric, an assistant chief, two health workers and a woman faced six counts of conspiracy to defraud Old Mutual Insurance Company.

The suspects were arrested on Tuesday by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. They denied the charges before Kisumu Senior Resident Magistrate Martha Agutu.

According to court records, Mr Andrew Okeyo Osewe, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor in Ngeta, Homa Bay County carried out a plot together with the assistant chief of Lower Kakwajok Wilson Were, Mrs Monica Bolo Odoyo, a widow, and two clinical officers from Kendu Adventist Hospital Mr Harun Diero Ajwang and Alfred Nyang’au Odhiambo to defraud the company.

They are accused of fabricating medical documents of Samuel Odoyo Agira, the late husband of Mrs Odoyo, in order claim payment.

The suspects are accused of committing the offense between January 20, 2018 and April 2, 2019.

Mr Osewe faced an additional charge of attempting to obtain money by false presence contrary to the law. Together with Mr Diero and Mr Nyang’au, the cleric was charged with making a document without authority as well as making a false document with intent to defraud an insurance company.

The magistrate freed the suspects on Sh100,000 cash bail each or an alternative bond of Sh150,000 with a surety.

The case will be mentioned on September 24 and be heard on November 21.