A man who received Ksh 140,000 through an Mpesa transaction sent to him by mistake has been ordered by a court to pay a total fine of Ksh 190,000 after failing to return the money.
Stephen Gioko Mwangi found himself facing legal consequences after a large sum of money was accidentally transferred to his mobile phone account.Instead of notifying the sender or returning the funds, he allegedly switched off his phone and spent the money.
According to court proceedings, the rightful owner made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Mwangi and recover the cash.
After all efforts failed, the matter was reported to the authorities, triggering investigations that led to Mwangi’s arrest and prosecution.
The court heard that Mwangi knowingly retained and used money that did not belong to him. He was subsequently convicted on theft-related charges.
For the first offence, the court fined him Ksh 140,000, with the alternative of serving a two-year jail term if he failed to pay.
On the second count, he was ordered to pay an additional Ksh 50,000 or serve six months in prison.
The penalties bring the total amount payable to Ksh 190,000. Failure to settle the fines would see him spend two and a half years behind bars.