Court detains fake ‘magistrate’ Victor Ng’eno for two weeks
A Nakuru court has allowed detectives to detain a man said to have impersonated a magistrate for 14 days to enable them complete investigations.
Senior Resident Magistrate Rose Obata said yesterday she was persuaded by the miscellaneous application by the police and directed Victor Kiprono Ng’eno be held until October 26. She said the need by the police to collect evidence from new complainants and to establish the true identity of the suspect were compelling enough.
“I have carefully considered the submissions by both parties and as guided by the law, I find there are compelling reasons to detain the suspect, the time sought is reasonable enough to carry out thorough investigations,” she ruled.
Police Inspector Elias Baya, who is the lead investigator in the case, had informed the court that there were seven more complainants, who have lodged complaints against the suspect.
Ng’eno was arrested on October 9 at Shabaab estate in Nakuru town on suspicion of obtaining money by false pretense and impersonation, where he falsely presented himself as a magistrate stationed at Nakuru law courts with intent to fraud.
He is alleged to have acted as a magistrate and even promised to intervene in some crucial cases once a deposit was made with police revealing that he had a fully functional Kangaroo court.
Desparate litigants
It has been established that the suspect operated in Nairobi, Nakuru, Bomet and Kericho counties where he presented himself as a magistrate willing to assist suspects to expedite their matters.
According to reports, Ng’eno had established a network where his close associates would source for desperate litigants seeking quick expedition of their cases and they would meet at high end hotels for the deals.
Before his arrest, Ng’eno is said to have falsely obtained Sh1.6 million from Samuel Soi on diverse dates between March 15, 2018 and December 31, 2019, one of the many cases lodged at the DCI regional office in Nakuru.
Police say Ng’eno pretended to be a brother of Devolution CS Charles Keter and was in a position to help Soi secure jobs for his children at the Kenya Pipeline Nakuru branch.
The complainant’s lawyer Kipkoech Ng’etich said the suspect was not on the record of judicial officers in the country.
