After a thorough analysis of forensic evidence, detectives pursuing suspects in the November 6 stealing of over Sh94.9 million while on transit by Wells Fargo staffers arrested four more suspected accomplices, all employees of the courier and security company.
The four are Joel Oyuchi Mweseli – controller/planner, the charge of drivers Harrison Mugendi Njeru, fleet supervisor Caleb Ouma Okinyi and the in charge of crew commander Ronald Ouma Oluu.
Besides negligence of duty, the four staffers who are guests of the state for the weekend are believed to have conspired with the two prime suspects (Daniel Mugetha and Anthony Nduiki) who are still at large, police said.
The arrest makes eight the total number of suspects so far nabbed in the daring heist after four others were netted days ago and over Sh9 million recovered in a jerrycan at a house in Roysambu.
The four were detained pending arraignment at Milimani Law Courts on Monday 27.
The five suspects were last week produced in court over the theft of Sh94.9 million and detained for ten days.
They included employees of the Wells Fargo Company.
Only Sh9.1 million of the money stolen has been recovered.
Milimani principal magistrate Zainab Abdul granted police 10 days instead of 21 days as sought.
The suspects, Ismael Patrick Gitonga, Michael Njeru, Samuel Onyango, Martin Nderi and James Mbatia have been remanded at Capitol Hill Police Station.
Inspector Michael Kimilu said in an affidavit he is investigating a criminal offence of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of the Penal Code.
Kimilu said an investigation commenced and established that the cash amounting to Sh94,916,750 belonging to Quickmart Supermarkets which was in transit to Family Bank Kenyatta Avenue, was stolen by known employees of Wells Fargo.
Kimilu said the suspects committed the offence in collaboration with unknown others moments after the cash-in-transit vehicle registration number KBA SITT commonly known as K09 had departed from Fargo house in south C at about 0714hrs.
“Upon receipt of the incident report, the investigation team proceeded to the v of crime along Southern bypass in South C area where motor vehicle KBA S commonly known as K09 was found abandoned with its engine running,” he said.
The court further heard that the scene was processed and the motor vehicle searched whereby it was noted that the consignment of cash which had been stashed in three blue metallic boxes was missing.
He said Wells Fargo crew commander Daniel Mugetha and driver Antony Ndiuki were missing and their mobile phone numbers switched off.
“Analysis was conducted and motor vehicle registration number KBM 75W Fielder white in colour was spotted trailing the said Wells Fargo van and later made away with the consignment in three blue boxes.”
He added that both day and night search operations were activated by the investigation team leading to the arrest of Ishmael Patrick Gitonga who is the registered owner of KBM 751W in Ongata Rongai on November 10, 2023.
Investigations traced the said motor vehicle to the Njiru Chokaa area along Kangundo Road at a residence of Michael Njeru where the same was found undergoing modifications by one Samwel Onyango.
The officer said the investigation intensified its operational leads upon interrogation of Njeru and Onyango and eventually traced and apprehended James Mbatia on November 11, 2023.
Upon search at Mbatia’s rented premise at Roybain Heights behind TRM Kasarani, led to a recovery of Sh9,101,300.
A separate operation mounted with the leads obtained from Gitonga led to the arrest of Mbatia on November 12, 2023, and the investigation has been established to be an employee of Wells Fargo Limited.
“The investigation is determined to trace, apprehend and recover the cash of about Sh85 million still at large with the runaway suspects well known.”
He said the suspects are connected to other suspects involved in the commission of the offence and who are still at large and in hiding upon getting wind of the respondents’ arrest therefore release of the respondents at this stage of the investigation will jeopardize the intended gains.
The court was also told that the suspects are a flight risk having been on the run since November 6 till their respective arrests.
He said they stole a lot of money much of which is still at their disposal and they can use the same even to abscond the country as the investigators have intelligence that they were planning to leave the country soon before their arrest.
Police said the suspect’s trace and arrest were met with a lot of difficulties as they were in hiding having known they were being pursued by the investigation team.
The remaining amount yet to be recovered is large and thus the release of the respondents at this juncture is likely to jeopardize the recovery, he said.
He said mobile phones recovered from the suspects are yet to be forwarded to cyber crime for analysis for any further leads of the conspiracy matrix and trace of the stolen cash.
The suspects, however, opposed the detention saying they are still innocent at this stage.
They prayed to be released on bail pending investigations.
The hunt for the other suspects is ongoing.
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