Reprieve for suspected fake cop Waiganjo as he is acquitted of fraud again

Joshua Waiganjo at the Milimani Law Courts

NAIROBI, KENYA: Suspected police impostor Joshua Waiganjo has been acquitted in yet another fraud case he was facing at the High Court.

Senior Principal Magistrate Lucy Mbugua freed Waiganjo because the complainant failed to appear in court ever since the case was instituted last year.

Waiganjo was charged last year before Nairobi Chief Magistrate Kiarie Waweru Kiarie with obtaining Sh650,000 from a businessman, Eric Mokua, by pretending he was capable of buying him three unregistered vehicles from the Mombasa Port in July 2011.

He had declined to have his fingerprints taken for further investigations but was overruled and ordered to report to an investigation officer at the Milimani law court. Lawyer Cliff Ombeta had argued the prints may be used to further incriminate Mr Waiganjo.

Mr Ombeta had asked for a "free bond" for the suspect, saying the string of cases springing up against him had left him poor. And while Mr Kiarie granted him a cash bail of Sh100,000, another magistrate, Mr Peter Ndwiga ruled he be held in custody until the conclusion of yet another case that has been pending since 2010.

On Friday last week he was acquitted in another case where he had been charged with stealing a matatu in Nairobi. He was accused of stealing a matatu belonging to Joshua Kogi Wanyeki on March 25, 2010 on Desai Road, Nairobi.

Another charge stated he presented himself to Mr Kogi as a police officer before stealing the motor vehicle.

Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate Ellena Nderitu set Waiganjo free after the complainant told the court that he had recovered the lost car.

Waiganjo had been accused of stealing Wanyeki's car worth Sh550,000 from Pangani in Nairobi in March 2010.