Academic registrar of a city private college has been charged in a Nairobi court with obtaining fraudulently Sh 5 million from students promising them of lucrative opportunities oversees upon completion.
Teresiah Mumbi Kamau the proprietor, of Branka International College was arraigned and deny the 41 counts levelled against her before Milimani senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi.
Ms Kamau who had been operating a private college at Hakati Business Center along Mfangano street in Nairobi city center is accused of pocketing fraudulently a total of Sh 5,088,000 from students whom she was offering interim training before seconding them to oversees professional and casual jobs.
The complainants who thronged in Milimani law court could not hold back their patience with others telling the court loudly that they did not hear their names in the 41 charges presented by the state prosecutor James Gachoka.
The unprofiled complainants were advised by the court to file complains with the DCI so that their case can be addressed appropriately by the court,
“For those who have not heard their names being called out are hearby adviced to proceed to the DCI to record statements against Ms Kamau,” the magistrate told the physically angry youth.
They claimed that their poor parents sold cattle and other properties to sponsor them for their training for the oversees job promises only to end up being hoaxed.
The magistrate calmed the youth and directed the charges to be read against the accused.
The accused was charged that between April 2022 and May 2023 jointly with others who were not in court with intention to defraud , she obtained Sh 5.08 million from the unsuspecting job seekers claiming she was in a position to induct them in various industrial professions before seconding them to Canada, Australia and Britain a fact she knew was false.
Mr Gachoka told the court that Ms Kamau would offer the complainants online training for one to three weeks in two categories:
The first category was for unskilled labour and the other category was for skilled labour in different fields.
After completion of the training the graduands were awarded with certificates of qualification in three areas that is personal development, communication and finance and were asked to wait for further communication as to where they would be seconded oversees.
The prosecution says the complainants were administered the yellow fever vaccination from a city private clinic in readiness to catch flights for their oversees destinations.
A Defence lawyer Wokabi Mathenge applied for the accused to be freed on bond saying she is not a flight risk.
Mr Gachoka did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to consider releasing the accused on bond given the number of complainants.
In his ruling the magistrate released the accused on bond of Sh 3 million with one surety of similar amount and fixed the case for mention on December 19 2023.
The magistrate said the accused would not be given alternative bond due to the nature of the case