Judge hands 2 United Nations imposters six years imprisonment

By EDWIN CHESEREK

Two men accused of posing as United Nations (UN) employees have been sentenced to six-year imprisonment.

The two were also ordered to repay Sh3.5 million they fraudulently obtained from an Eldoret trader.

David Ambuku and Laban Rubiri were found guilty of conning an Eldoret businessman of Sh3.5 million under pretext that they would assist him secure a tender worth Sh45 million.

They were charged that in January 2010, the two, with intent to defraud, obtained the money from Patrick Mwangi Muchuku by pretending that they would assist him win a bid to supply furniture to UN offices in Endebe, Uganda.

They were also charged that on diverse dates between December 2009 and January 2010, within Uasin Gishu County, they presented themselves as employees of the agency.

Exchanged contracts

Mr Muchuku told the court that he met Rubiri in 2009 and introduced himself as the driver of the agency’s procurement officer based at Gigiri, Nairobi.

He later gave him the first accused Ambuku’s contacts and the two started communicating before they eventually met at a hotel in Eldoret town.

Ambuku introduced himself while in possession of a laptop with the UN logo, to show Mr Muchuku the available supply jobs.

They pair then demanded Sh3.5 million as deposit for the furniture, which the trader paid them.

Principal Magistrate Francis Kyambia said the prosecution had proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the two defrauded the trader.

“There is also the evidence of communication the court had with the accused. This cannot be said to have been manufactured by the complainant just to implicate the accused,’’ he said.