Nairobi Court Sentences Man to Fine or Two Years in Jail for Insurance Scam
"I have erred, but I pray for mercy. I regret my actions and urge this court to give me a second chance," Njuguna told the magistrate.
A health insurance fraudster has been fined Ksh 600,000 in default to serve two years imprisonment by a Nairobi court for falsifying a reimbursement claim of Ksh 302,000.
While delivering the sentence, Milimani principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego considered the prosecution’s plea for a deterrent sentence, considering the increase in insurance fraud in the country.
The magistrate considered imposing a fine on the five counts the accused person was facing. Ian Njuguna was charged with attempting to obtain money by pretence and making false documents.
He was charged on or before August 27, 2024, at CIC Group Insurance Company’s head office in Nairobi, within the Republic of Kenya, with intent to defraud, willfully and unlawfully presenting false documents for Baragoi Catholic Nursing Home (BCNH), and a false police abstract.
The court heard that Njuguna presented a discharge summary for inpatient number 59303-24 for Baragoi Catholic Nursing Home and a police abstract for OB number 36/23/08/24 from Baragoi Police Station purporting to have been admitted at the facility after being involved in a road accident on August 23, 2024, along Horr-Sutai Road. He lodged a reimbursement claim of Ksh 302,150 to CIC Insurance Company, claiming to be the expense incurred for treatment, which is a false claim.
He was also charged with making a false discharge summary for inpatient number 296/2024 for Baragoi Catholic Nursing Home in the name of Ian Njuguna, purporting to have originated from the said facility, which was a false fact.
The accused was further charged with making an official receipt number 59303-24 for (BCNH) for inpatient number 296/2024 under his name and police abstract for OB number 36/23/08/24, purporting it originated from Baragoi Police Station.
In another count, he was charged with attempting to obtain money by pretence at the CIC Group Insurance Company Head office. As the policyholder for policy number C16338700, he tried to obtain Ksh 302,150 as reimbursement for expenses incurred during admission at BCNH after the purported accident.
In mitigation, he pleaded to the court for mercy, volunteering to help detectives and revealing how fraud in the health sector is being committed.
“I have erred, but I pray for mercy. I regret my actions and urge this court to give me a second chance,” Njuguna told the magistrate.
He stated that he is willing to volunteer to work with the team investigating the insurance fraud to reveal how it is done. He also indicated that he could change even without a custodial sentence.
