Man arrested over police recruitment scam in Igembe

MERU COUNTY: Administration Police officers at Kiengu, Igembe South in Meru County, have arrested a man who has been posing as a senior police officer and obtaining money from parents promising to enlist their children in the police service.

The unperturbed suspect, who claims to be working with other senior police officers at police headquarters, was nabbed as he presented calling letters to three young people he had allegedly enlisted to the force.

Igembe South AP Commander, Abdirahim Gulia, said parents and guardians of the three youths had parted with more than Sh275,000 and the suspect was to collect more money upon delivery of the recruitment letters.

"We received information from residents that there is a man going around recruiting youths into the police service long after the exercise was done. He has mentioned three senior police officers from his area who he is working with. We have confiscated three calling letters complete with ID numbers, medical reports and Chief's reports," Gulia said.

According to the calling letters recovered from the suspects, the youths were to report to Kiganjo Police Training College on August 5.

One of the victims, Gacheri Nkunja, from Kiengu said her brother-in-law met with the suspect who promised to help get her into the police service.

"My brother-in-law met the suspect through our neighbour and he was told to go to Tigania East on the Police recruitment day. He was however was turned away because his ID card shows he is from Igembe. We called the suspect who told us not to worry because the matter is being handled by senior officers in the Police service," Gacheri said.

She said the man assured them that their son would be recruited even after he failed on the recruitment day and they gave him more money to facilitate the process.

"We gave him Sh75,000 on the eve of the police recruitment day. Three days later he called my brother-in-law to Nairobi for medical examination for which we paid Sh2,500. They then told us to wait for the calling letter," she said.

 Gacheri said she was to give the man more money upon receiving the letter but they suspected that the letter was not genuine and raised an alarm.

Igembe South Deputy OCPD Jane Nyakerumah said the suspect, who is currently being held at Maua Police Station, will be arraigned in court Monday.