A woman suspected to be part of a cartel that has been conning Eldoret job seekers was on Monday presented before the court.
The woman identified as Leah Jelagat was arraigned before the court and charged with three counts in relation to obtaining money through false pretence.
Court documents indicate that Jelagat is facing charges of obtaining more than Ksh300,000 from among others, Lyvine Chepleting, a job seeker, on a promise that she would secure her employment in Turkey.
According to the prosecution, on diverse dates between August 22 and September 29, 2022, Jelagat obtained Ksh154,000 from Chepleting by falsely pretending that she was in a position to help her travel to Turkey to secure overseas employment.
The two are said to have met in 2022 when the complainant had gone to seek employment at Uasin Gishu County offices in Eldoret town.
Better paying job
During their meeting, Jelagat allegedly told Chepleting not to waste time seeking employment in Eldoret but instead to give her some money to help her get a better-paying job in Turkey.
But after receiving the money, the accused is said to have started avoiding the complainant until she made a report at the Eldoret police station.
Investigations commenced leading to her arrest on May 13, 2023.
The accused is also facing a second charge where court documents indicate that on October 13, 2022, in Eldoret town, she obtained Ksh110,000 from Mitchel Chepchirichir pretending that she was in a position to facilitate her travelling to Turkey to secure better-paying employment, a fact she knew was false.
She is also facing another charge of falsely obtaining Ksh110,000 from Magdalene Chebet with a similar promise.
While appearing before Eldoret Senior Resident Magistrate Nancy Barasa, Jelagat denied all the charges.
The court directed that she be released on a Ksh400,000 bond with a similar surety.
Her application to be released on cash bail was declined.
However, the court directed that she makes the same application when the case will be mentioned on May 29, 2023, for further directions before a pre-trial.
