A man once charged with masterminding an Sh88 million fake tender scam is now pursuing a law degree at Mount Kenya University, raising fresh questions about the institution’s admissions and the broader issue of suspected fraudsters seeking legitimacy through academic qualifications.
David Mapili, a Nairobi-based suspect once linked to a high-profile fraud ring, has quietly enrolled at MKU’s School of Law.
His admission follows a 2019 case in which he and others were accused of defrauding a businessman through a complex scheme involving fake government tenders.
The development adds to growing concerns about MKU’s repeated admission of individuals facing serious criminal allegations.
Mapili was among four suspects charged in 2019 before a Kiambu court with defrauding businessman Idris Ahmed Buko, the director of Naliye Agencies Ltd, of goods worth Sh88.7 million.
Prosecutors alleged that the group orchestrated a well-planned syndicate that used forged government tender documents to convince Buko to supply items they claimed were required by the Ministry of ICT.
Court filings indicated that Mapili, alongside Jackson Kiharo Mwondi and Mercy Wahiga Wanjiku, posed as officials linked to various government departments.
The suspects allegedly issued fake Local Purchase Orders and letters purporting to originate from the Ministry of ICT. Buko told investigators that one of the suspects even impersonated the acting head of procurement, meeting him inside the ministry’s offices at Teleposta Towers.
As part of the alleged fraud, Buko said he imported 797 laptops from China after being instructed to supply them at a cost of Sh125.9 million.
He was later directed to divert the delivery to a store in Hurlingham, a move investigators believe was part of the scheme to obscure the trail of the goods.
The suspects also allegedly pushed for additional supplies, including Sh74.5 million worth of Panolin hydraulic lubricant to the Government Printer and software valued at Sh28.7 million.
Police impounded several luxury vehicles believed to have been purchased using proceeds from the scheme, including a Ford Ranger double cabin and a new Toyota Land Cruiser V8.
A Kiambu court later ordered the release of the vehicles on condition that the owners deposit their logbooks with investigators while the case continued.
All accused persons denied the charges.
The case was last scheduled for mention on May 3, 2019, for the setting of a hearing date, although its progress since then remains unclear.
Mapili’s enrollment into a law program has drawn criticism from observers who argue that universities should exercise greater scrutiny when admitting individuals facing serious economic crimes.
His pursuit of a legal career now sits in stark contrast to the allegations that once placed him at the centre of a multimillion-shilling fraud scheme.
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