A Nairobi police officer is facing charges after allegedly receiving Ksh 905,000 from a restaurant manager through multiple M-Pesa transfers.
Sammy Osangir Eshalai is accused of obtaining the money from Consolata Wairimu Gichuki, whom he had reportedly known for approximately six years.
The two became closer during the Covid-19 curfew period after Gichuki was arrested and Eshalai allegedly helped her. He later frequently visited the restaurant in Fedha, Embakasi, where Gichuki worked as a manager.
The complaint states that Eshalai sought financial help from Gichuki in April, claiming that he had lost some important personal documents and needed money to replace them. He allegedly told her that he would repay the money once he accessed funds from his police SACCO account.
Gichuki reportedly sent him several payments through M-Pesa after accepting his explanation. The amount eventually reached Ksh 905,000. She allegedly borrowed money from friends on some occasions to fulfil his requests.
According to the complaint, Eshalai failed to repay themoney as promised, prompting Gichuki to suspect that she had been misled. She subsequently reported the matter to the authorities.
Eshalai was arrested and charged with cheating following the complaint. He denied the accusations when he appeared in court.
The officer was later granted release on a cash bail of Ksh 200,000 while the case proceeds.
The court will now consider whether the prosecution can establish that Eshalai obtained the Ksh 905,000 through fraudulent representations.