Cons among them a cleric used President Uhuru Kenyatta’s name to defraud the Akashas Sh5.5 million with a promise to help return family members charged in the US.
Baktash Akasha was sentenced to 25 years on August 16 and Ibrahim Akasha is awaiting sentencing on November 8 over drug-trafficking charges in the US.
Out of agony and desperation, Najma Hassan fell for the scammers who claimed to be highly connected.
She paid pastor Chris Ngweti money after he claimed to have been sent by President Kenyatta.
Ngweti was arrested and charged on Thursday.
The charge sheet stated that on diverse dates between October 9 and November 15, 2018, Ngweti met Najma Juma Hassan, wife to Bakhtash, and conspired with other people, to obtain the money from her through false pretense.
The accused denied the charges when he appeared before senior resident magistrate David Odhiambo.
He was granted Ksh1 million cash bail or a surety of Ksh2 million.
The brothers, accused of conspiring to import heroin to the US, among other crimes, had entered a plea bargain with the US government.
Najma had lost hope and was at home after failing to secure the return of her husband to the country when she received a call from Kisauni DCIO.
“It was during our talk that I narrated what had befallen me to him.”
“He advised me to record the statements and investigations began.” remarked Najma.
In her statement, Najma said she opened up to Ngweti, her pastor at a church in Shanzu where she sometimes worships about seeking help to have the Akasha brothers returned to Kenya.
The pastor volunteered to link her up with a well-connected person who would help her meet President Kenyatta and seek his assistance.
Ngweti introduced Najma to Stephen Nzioka (Steve), based in Nairobi who spoke big and smooth.
Steve asked to meet her in Nairobi the following day to expedite the process.
Najma set for Nairobi from Mombasa together with her daughter, Hayat Akasha, sister-in-law and mother-in-law.
They met Steve in South B at a relative’s house where they were all staying and he assured them that all was going according to plan.
Steve told them that being a weekend, the President was with his family but that they would meet on Monday.
He, however, demanded Ksh500,000 allegedly to give to State House controller Kinuthia Mbugua to facilitate a meeting with the President.
On Monday, Steve picked the Akashas up at 8am and took them to Grand Regency Hotel where they stayed till 6pm.
At 6pm, he told them that he had been directed to meet Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma who would give them an extradition letter.
Steve further asked for Ksh500,000 which Hayat handed over.
He left with the cash at around 7 pm claiming that he was to wait until the letter was written for him to deliver it to them.
“We waited till 9 pm and left in a cab when he did not show up,” Najma said.
The following morning, Najma called Steve three times but the calls went unanswered.
He called her back later and informed her that he is following protocols which takes time. He reassured them that all was well.
After three days, on October 12, 2018, Steve showed up in South B where Najma was staying at around 9 pm with a letter.
The letter which he claimed was from the Foreign Affairs CS to the US embassy was undated and unsigned.
“He then left with it claiming that he was taking it to be stamped and signed. He said he had just brought it to us to show that something was happening,” recorded Hayat.
After a few days, he came back with another letter from the Office of the President dated October 19, 2018, purportedly signed by Kinuthia Mbugua, State House comptroller and copied to Foreign Affairs CS.
He disappeared again only to return after four days asking for ‘something’ for the “President” as the CS had already gotten in touch with him.
The cash, according to Steve, would facilitate the final extradition letter signed by the President.
“My mother gave him Ksh1 million and he went outside to make some calls. When he returned, he said the President had declined and wanted Ksh3 million,” Hayat reported.
Steve left at midday and said he would come later in the day for the remaining amount. At around 4pm, he returned and was given Ksh1.5 million.
In her statement, Najma said she opened up to Ngweti, her pastor at a church in Shanzu where she sometimes worships about seeking help to have the Akasha brothers returned to Kenya.
The pastor volunteered to link her up with a well-connected person who would help her meet President Kenyatta and seek his assistance.
Later that night, Steve returned with another letter purportedly from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration reference number 15/11/201 from one Abdalla. He claimed that the “President” has instructed one Abdalla to handle the matter.
The letter was signed by a Mr McRae and copied to President Uhuru and the said Abdalla sent the letter to Steve through WhatsApp on November 19, 2018.
Najma’s daughter Hayat Akasha said “Abdalla” kept communicating with them via WhatsApp informing them that he had met her father and uncle and that they would soon be released.
The family travelled back to Mombasa. Steve later followed them to Mombasa claiming he wanted to help them get Akasha’s case out of court.
For this, he asked for Ksh1.5 million. This time, he came together with pastor Chris with whom they met Najma and her daughter at a hotel near Fort Jesus.
“For two weeks, he took me in circles not able to deliver on his last promise,” Najma told the police.
Steve then told Najma that the President was back in the country and that they could go receive him at the airport in Nairobi. The family set out for the journey, this time bringing along more family members.
They left Mombasa at 10pm using public means and arrived in Nairobi the following morning at 6am. They stayed with a relative for two days before Steve picked them up.
“He took us to a hotel and booked us in for four days. He told us not to worry and claimed that the President and his mother were staying at the same premise,” Najma reported.
Steve told the family that American guards at the restaurant would pick them up and take them to meet the President.
On the third day, Steve took the family to two houses, both with green roofs in Runda estate where he informed Najma that her husband and her brother-in-law would stay there.
“He claimed that those houses belonged to former President Mwai Kibaki. He also said they would install CCTV cameras and employ security guards to watch over the houses,” Najma said.
Here, she parted with Ksh350,000 for rent and Ksh90,000 for CCTV installation.
Najma had also sent Steve Ksh55,000 via Mpesa and later another Ksh35,000.
Najma stated they agreed as a family to go back to Mombasa as Steve had informed them that her husband and his brother would return after four days.
She informed him that they were travelling back, and that, Najma said, was the last she heard of him.
She said she had sent the letter from “CS Monica Juma” to Ngweti who was to confirm with his friend in Nairobi whether the letter was fake or genuine.
The case will be mentioned on November 14 at the Shanzu Law courts.
Credit: Original story on the Star