Ex-Kiambu woman rep aspirant wanted over fraud allegations

Detectives in Thika are looking for Ms Gladys Chania, a former woman rep aspirant in Kiambu, over fraud allegations.

Ms Chania is said to have defrauded residents of Sh3 million with a promise she would link their alcoholic family members to a rehabilitation centre and facilitate their relocation to the United States for greener pastures using the name of a prominent Kenyan ambassador.

So elusive was Ms Chania that detectives had to entice her to arrest her.

They posed as clients, telling her they had a relative who has always desired to visit the US, and that it was good they meet so they could make a down payment of Sh200,000 given the amount was huge to be transacted through M-Pesa.

CASH BAIL

As agreed, Ms Chania showed up at her facility that trades under the name Right At Home Rehabilitation Centre in Thika, where they arrested her.

The suspect was later released by police on Sh50,000 cash bail.

But a Thika court has issued a warrant of arrest against Ms Chania after she forfeited her cash bail in a case where she had been sued by another group.

“The warrant of arrest against her was issued on August 22 after she refused to appear in court to answer to charges of fraud,” detectives familiar with the case told the Nation on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Multiple interviews with police sources in Thika revealed that Ms Chania has been using her NGO to con unsuspecting Kenyans, who are mostly jobless.

MANY COMPLAINTS

Thika OCS Mathew Masaga told the Nation that a lot of complaints have been made about Ms Chania and they are working to arrest her.

“I can confirm that a lot of complaints about one Glady’s Chania have been made at Thika Police Station and the matter is set for mention next month,” he said on phone.

Contacted, Ms Chania refused to comment and said she was in a meeting and would get back to us.

By Monday evening, she had not responded to the queries.

CASES

Some of the recent cases reported at the Thika station include one under OB Number 89/12/08/19 by one Eric Gathogo and Marin Kahunguro, OB No 82/12/08/19, who lost Sh200,000 and Sh251,000 respectively to Ms Chania with the hope of going to the US.

Another organisation called East African Sub-Saharan African Safe Promotion Foundation is also claiming Sh480,000 from the suspect after she reportedly promised that she was in a position to influence aid for them from the African Development Bank.

“I was making my payments via M-Pesa from April 2017 and concluded paying the amount totalling Sh251,350 late last year with hopes that I would travel to US, only for her to tell me that she owed me nothing,” said an emotional Mr Kahungura.

“She had told us that she is related to former Kenyan Ambassador to the US Njeru Githae and so we thought it was true given her political engagements and the fact that she is always in the media talking about youth opportunities. We later found out that she was not related to Mr Githae.”