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Sabina Chege, Murang’a Woman Representative is not sick and hospitalised as alleged in a cash appeal message doing rounds in Parliament.
The Nairobian can reveal that Wazir Benson Masubo Chacha is the man behind the scam that has dented pockets of gullible MPs who thought they were reaching out to a friend in need.
The 25-year-old man and former employee of Devolution ministry has gone into hiding and switched off his five mobile phones. Police are looking for him for registering a fake M-Pesa account using in the name of Sabina Chege.
“He used an ID number of a former MP to register an M-Pesa account in the name of Sabina Wanjiku Chege. He did this in Donholm and we have all the details,” said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti.
Officials handling the case have arrested the person who registered the M-Pesa account in Donholm. She is expected to take a plea on Monday.
According to investigations, Chacha got the contacts from a friend who is a former MP.
Kinoti said Chacha has been linked to four other cases of fraud and want him to surrender himself for questioning.
After Chacha had registered the number as MP Chege, he sent distress messages to a number of VIPs to raise funds. The messages purport that the Murang’a County MP is in hospital and in need money.
At least four MPs, including Speaker of National Assembly Justin Muturi, sent money to the number thinking it was the MP who was in distress.
Chege recounted before the National Assembly Committee on Security and National Administration how the man impersonated her and sent messages to three CSs and legislators at night saying she needed cash urgently.
“Those who sent the money saw that the M-Pesa number had been registered under Sabina Wanjiku Chege. That is why they did not suspect anything. It wasn’t until former MP Jakoyo Midiwo asked me about it the following day that I learnt of it. Many other people had been sent the same message,” Chege said.
Midiwo and three other MPs have also reported the matter to the police.
Speaker Muturi, CSs Eugene Wamalwa, Peter Munya and Margaret Kobia and unknown senators have fallen victim to the racket and sent money. The committee heard that Muturi lost Sh30,000 following a distress message purportedly from Chege who needed to buy medication.
Former Migori Senator Wilfred Machage is said to have sent Sh140,000 to Chacha’s account but it is not clear for what reasons.
It also emerged that Chacha sent two students of Multimedia University to collect Sh100,000 from Midiwo. The two students include a nephew to a former MP. They were charged with attempting to obtain money from the politician by false pretence.
Efforts to get a comment from Chacha were futile as all his contacts were switched off.
Derick Ng’etich, 19, and Edwin Warukira denied fraudulently obtaining Sh100,000 from former Gem MP and Ms Chege on March 8 at Goldenspot Restaurant in Nairobi.
The two requested a free bond, claiming they are both students and were working under instructions from Chacha who was unwell in hospital and needed to pay some bills. One of them claims he met Chacha at a former MP’s house.
