Suspect who posed as Ruto staff in laptops theft scheme charged

Mr Daddy Awiti, one of the seven suspects arrested last week in laptops fraud scheme has been charged in Nairobi on August 20, 2018. PHOTO | RICHARD MUNGUTI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He allegedly obtained 2,800 HP laptops valued at Sh180 million between July 1 and August 12 this year.

One of the seven suspects arrested while posing as staff of Deputy President William Ruto in a laptops theft scheme has been charged in Nairobi.

The prosecution on Monday charged Mr Daddy Awiti with conspiring to defraud and obtaining goods by false pretence.

He allegedly obtained 2,800 HP laptops valued at Sh180 million between July 1 and August 12 this year.

"Jointly with others not before court, the accused with intend to defraud ...[offered] tender documents under the name of the office of the deputy president while falsely pretending that they were genuine,"  prosecution told court.

The court freed Mr Awiti on Sh500,000 cash bail after he denied the two charges before Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku.

The suspects were caught last week in Nairobi’s Westlands with more than 700 laptops, according to Director of Criminal Investigations Directorate George Kinoti who confirmed the incident.

The suspects are said to have been fraudulently using the office of the deputy president to obtain the gadgets from various organisations and individuals.