Couple faked death to receive insurance pay

A woman was paid Sh600,665 in compensation by an insurance company after faking her husband’s death.

Alex Mwangi, an assistant customer service manager at Jubilee Insurance told a court that Ezekiel Ochieng’ Ogoma and his wife Rachel Adhiambo Omondi faked his death and received the compensation in 2013.

The couple has been charged twice in Nairobi for claiming compensation from different insurance companies by faking death. On April 8, 2014, Mr Ogoma and his wife were charged with conspiring to defraud Pan Africa Assurance Company of Sh634,936 by pretending that Ogoma had died.

The couple was charged for the second time on May 30, 2014 with claiming compensation from Jubilee.

Forgery and Fraud

Ogoma, who is alleged to have died in a road accident on the Kisumu-Siaya road in January, and his wife appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndwiga and denied five counts of forgery and fraud.

And yesterday, during the hearing of the case before Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo, Mr Mwangi said Ms Adhiambo produced a certificate of claim together with forged documents.

He said the company’s investigative department conducted a probe after they raised doubt over the transaction.

Mwangi said the investigators realised the claimant was alive. The transaction, according to Mwangi, was completed on September 24, 2013.

Ogoma, who was not represented, told the court he had not been served with copies of all the documents the prosecution is relying on as evidence.

“I am convinced that the official from the insurance company is not telling the truth since they did not bother to ask for marriage certificates when processing the claim,” said Ogoma.

But Mwangi insisted the bank is seeking to be refunded the money. “The policy documents were presented when the claim was being made,” said Mwangi. He noted Ogoma’s death permit was also presented to them after which investigations revealed it was a forged document.

The couple was also accused of forging a police abstract form. They were directed to deposit a cash bail of Sh500,000 or a bond of a similar amount, failure to which they would remain in custody pending the hearing and determination of their case.