A serial fraudster who has obtained tens of millions of shillings from unsuspecting Kenyans and foreigners by posing as a senior procurement officer in various government ministries has been arrested by detectives.
David Ambuku alias General, who manufactures fraudulent tender documents and local purchase orders before convincing bidders and potential suppliers that he will award them the lucrative contracts, was retrieved from a water tank, where he had nosedived to evade arrest.
Ambuku, who conspired to defraud two merchants Sh47.3 million using forged tender documents for ministries of Interior and Labour, almost drowned after plunging into the water tank at the sight of financial investigations detectives, who raided his house at Kimathi estate, along Jogoo road, early Tuesday morning.
The con, who is a director of Kemoma ventures and several other companies working with crooked officials in government ministries and state departments, secures access to their well-furnished offices and boardrooms where he conducts his business unperturbed.
“Donning well-trimmed suits, he cuts a fine figure of a senior procurement manager capable of awarding and influencing issuance of tenders,” Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) describes the suspect.
Innocent merchants, who mostly comprise of young ladies and foreigners looking for investment opportunities are then convinced that they have met the boss and part with colossal sums of money to influence the award of the contracts in their favor.
They are then issued fake local purchase orders to supply the goods before Ambuku stages his disappearance.
“Such is what happened to a Chinese citizen who lost Sh26 million, after being ushered to a meeting with the ‘procurement officer’ at a boardroom in the Ministry of Labour headquarters,” noted the DCI.
The serial fraudster with a knack for obtaining millions of shillings from unsuspecting investors without batting an eyelid has previously posed as a senior military official at defense headquarters and obtained over Sh26 million from a would-be investor.
The scammer who has over 10 pending cases in different courts has been engaging detectives in hide-and-seek games before he was finally cornered.
He will be arraigned at the Milimani Law courts on Thursday to take a plea.
“Any person who has fallen victim to Ambuku’s machinations is asked to report to the Economic Crimes Unit at DCI headquarters or dial the DCI anonymous toll-free number 0800 722 203 to file their report,” DCI noted.
