Prison’s official arrested for defrauding county official Sh12.5m

Diana Grace Mulongo, 31, who works as a clerical officer at the Kakamega Juvenile Remands Home allegedly defrauded Robert Juma Sh12.5 million. [Courtesy]

Police are holding a woman alleged to have defrauded a former county official Sh12.5 million pretending to have won tenders to supply foodstuffs to schools.

Diana Grace Mulongo who works as a clerical officer at the Kakamega Juvenile Remands Home is said to have defrauded Robert Juma, a deputy secretary at the County Government of Busia.

According to Kakamega County Criminal Investigating Officer (CCIO) John Onyango, the woman, 31, is alleged to have solicited more money from locals in pretence of paying back, which she defaulted.

“According to the reports, the suspect has been deceiving locals that she has won tenders through a purported non-existent company, Diwani Enterprises Ltd, to supply foodstuffs. She would then forge promissory notes showing she has entered into agreements with the institutions making the locals give her the money which she never pays back,” said the CCIO.

She was arrested after Mr Juma reported the incident at the Kakamega Police Station when he tried to have his money paid back to no avail.

“She would tactfully make receipts from wholesale shops and supermarkets that she has bought the said items and supplied them to the schools when in real sense she has not supplied anything” he said.

The police recovered several rubber stamps, promissory notes and supermarket receipts, which the investigating officers said were forgery.

He said he has requested the said institutions to record statements also owing to the fact that they have been adversely mentioned by the complainants.

“After visiting the institutions among them Divine Providence Children’s Home and Salvation Army where she purported to have won tenders, the institutions, however, denied knowing anybody by the name Ms Mulongo and have not entered into any business deal with her” said Mr Onyango.

According to the County Investigations boss, the clerical officer will answer to charges of obtaining by false pretence, forgery and uttering false documents.

“We are going to seek a court order to investigate her five bank accounts at different banks and if need be, we shall freeze them. I urge anyone else who have been defrauded by the suspect under the dubious transactions to come and record statements with us to aid in the ongoing investigations,” he affirmed.