Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested a suspected fraudster who has allegedly obtained tens of millions of shillings from unsuspecting Kenyans and foreigners.
The suspect is said to have accomplished his illegal mission by posing as a senior procurement officer in various government ministries.
He was arrested on Tuesday morning by detectives.
DCI boss George Kinoti said David Ambuku alias General has been manufacturing fraudulent tender documents and local purchase orders before convincing bidders and potential suppliers that he will award them the lucrative contracts.
During the arrest, he was retrieved from a water tank, where he had nosedived to evade arrest.
“Ambuku, who conspired to defraud two merchants Sh47.3 million using forged tender documents for ministries of Interior and Labour, almost drowned after plunging into the water tank at the sight of financial investigations detectives, who raided his house at Kimathi estate, along Jogoo road, early today morning,” DCI boss Kinoti said.
The suspect, who is a director of Kemoma ventures and several other companies working with crooked officials in government ministries and state departments, managed to access big offices and boardrooms where he conducts his businesses unperturbed.
DCI described him as a man with a penchant for donning well-trimmed suits that helps him in cutting a fine figure of a senior procurement manager capable of awarding and influencing the issuance of tenders.
“Innocent merchants, who mostly comprise of young ladies and foreigners looking for investment opportunities are then convinced that they have met the boss and part with colossal sums of money to influence the award of the contracts in their favour. They are then issued fake local purchase orders to supply the goods before Ambuku stages his disappearance,” DCI added.
One of his victims, a Chinese citizen, lost Sh26 million after being ushered to a meeting with the ‘procurement officer’ at a boardroom in the Ministry of Labour headquarters.
DCI further said the suspect, described as a man with a knack for obtaining millions of shillings from unsuspecting investors, has previously posed as a senior military official at defence headquarters and obtained over Sh26 million from a would-be investor.
The scammer has over 10 pending cases in different courts and DCI says he has been engaging detectives in games before he was nabbed.
He will be arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday to take a plea.
“Any person who has fallen victim to Ambuku’s machinations is asked to report to the Economic crimes unit at DCI headquarters,” DCI said.
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