Bribe-taking police imposter in court

A man accused of posing as a police officer and attempting to arrest three members of the public stunned a Nairobi court yesterday when he pleaded  guilty to the charges.

David Mutua Maingi was convicted of six counts of impersonating a police officer by Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Lucy Mbugua.

Prosecutor Charles Wanjohi informed the court that Maingi on May 31 along River Road in Nairobi presented himself as a police constable and ‘arrested’ James Maina Mwangi. The accused, immediately after ‘arresting’ Mr Mwangi, demanded Sh200 as a bribe in order to ‘release’ him.

On the same day, he falsely presented himself as a police constable and tried to arrest Edwin Mutwiri Mugambi. When Mr Mugambi resisted, the accused ordered him to part with Sh200 as a bribe with intent to steal from him.

In  another incident, Maingi ‘arrested’ Pauline Njeri and demanded Sh200 from her before setting her free. Maingi pleaded guilty to all the counts but the magistrate directed that he be remanded in custody until today, when the facts of the case will be read to him.

Meanwhile, a man and woman appeared  in the same court accused of obtaining Sh50.5 million from a city resident by pretending they could sell him land in Karen, Nairobi.

Johnson Kigundu and Lucy Marete alias Sarah Omondi allegedly committed the offence between December 5 last year and March 19 by pretending they could sell the land (LR No. 21920) measuring 3.466 hectares.