[News] Student arraigned in court for using fake transaction message to buy drinks and food

A 24-year-old third-year student at Kenyatta University has been arraigned in court for buying food and drinks worth Ksh189,000 (N684,387) from a city hotel by paying with a fake transaction message.

 

The suspect identified simply as Emmanuel Bwire committed the offence on diverse dates between December 13 and 16, 2021, at Hill Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Bwire who ordered for the food in bits, first presented the fake Mpesa transaction code to the hotel waiter and security officer who delivered the drinks and food.

 

A police report read;

 

“He ordered drinks worth Ksh28100 and a delivery fee of Ksh2000. He then requested the waiter to furnish him with the bill so that he can pay through Mpesa. The hotel did not see the message since their Mpesa mobile phone had issues.”

 

The following day, the student ordered drinks and food worth Ksh47,000 which he claimed he paid through Mpesa and also gave out the Mpesa transaction code.

 

On the third day, Bwire ordered drinks, food and transport worth Ksh51,600 and gave the Mpesa transaction code to the hotel delivery guy but this time around, the hotel messenger asked the accused to allow him to take a photo of the Mpesa message which he did.

 

After leaving the accused person’s house, a lady approached the waiter and the hotel security officer and warned them against the gentleman.

 

Upon arriving the hotel and running a check,  the waiter was shocked to find out that the messages were fake and that there was no money paid to the hotel by the accused person via Mpesa since December 13.

 

He alerted the hotel’s accountant and the suspect was arrested after he called the next day December 16, to order food and drinks amounting to Ksh61,000.

 

The hotel messenger was accompanied by a police officer to the student’s residence, and he arrested after presenting another fake transaction message.

 

Bwire however pleaded not guilty before Chief Magistrate Wendy Micheni and asked for leniency, claiming that he was held by police for more than 24 hours against his constitutional rights.

 

He was released on a cash bail of Ksh50,000.