Businessman Elius Kemboi Korir has been charged in two separate cases involving fraudulent transactions amounting to millions of shillings.
Korir, who appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego, faces charges of obtaining goods worth Sh 15.6 million under false pretenses from Mallow Brand Limited.
The first case accuses Korir of fraudulently obtaining goods, including brown sugar, cooking oil, and rice, from Mallow Brand Limited on December 10, 2022.
The goods were allegedly delivered to a warehouse at City Stadium, Nairobi, under the pretense that Korir could make payment, a fact he reportedly knew to be untrue. Korir is also charged with conspiring with others to defraud Mallow Brand Limited of these goods.
In a second case, Korir is accused of obtaining 300 bags of beans worth Sh 4.6 million from Koch Limited by falsely claiming the goods would be supplied to the Women and Youth Against Aids and Poverty (WAYAAP), a public benefit organization.
The goods were allegedly delivered with the understanding that WAYAAP would pay for them, which Korir knew was not the case.
Korir denied all charges in both cases and was granted bail of Sh 2 million for the first charge and Sh 1 million for the second.
Korir, a key figure in the NGO Women and Youth Against Aids and Poverty, had been under investigation for multiple instances of fraud.
Police revealed that he had been using his position within the NGO to deceive suppliers with fake tender offers.
After receiving goods, Korir would disappear, leaving businesses with no recourse.
In one of his most audacious schemes, Korir, along with an accomplice, allegedly defrauded three suppliers of goods worth over Sh 32.8 million.
The goods, intended for vulnerable communities as part of an aid initiative, were instead sold in the local market. Efforts by the suppliers to recover their goods or funds were met with threats, prompting them to report the incident to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
A manhunt for Korir was launched by the DCI’s Operation Support Unit, and he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while attempting to flee the country.
Korir’s arrest marks the latest development in his string of fraudulent activities, with investigations continuing into his role in multiple schemes.
