City businessman refutes job scam claims, to present self at DCI

Nairobi
By David Njaaga | Apr 30, 2024
City businessman James Wanjohi. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

A city businessman has denied allegations of being linked to a job scandal involving Worthstart Limited, a company where he serves as a Director.

James Wanjohi broke his silence on the matter in an exclusive video, expressing dismay, saying he received the news while on a business trip abroad.

"I am not a wanted man," Wanjohi stated, adding that he had neither received a summon from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) nor seen it on the investigation's social media pages.

His knowledge of the allegations, he said, came only through media reports.

Wanjohi dismissed assertions that Worthstart had promised to offer jobs to over 4,000 clients. Instead, he clarified that the company, which has five directors and is barely a year old, was clear in its contracts with the several clients it serves.

The company's role, he explained, was solely visa facilitation, a decision that lies with the embassies of respective countries.

The city businessman also claimed that Worthstart was not the source of his high-end vehicles being displayed on social media.

"I owned them over two years ago and even used them in campaigning for the Roysambu parliamentary seat," he said.

He is now alleging a political witch-hunt and business rivalry, but vowed to avail himself to the DCI to aid the investigations upon his return to the country.

"I am willing to cooperate with investigators until investigations are done," he said.

Wanjohi scoffed at the accusations, arguing that he was a victim of a political witch-hunt instigated by his rivals.

He revealed that there had been bad blood between him and some individuals since contesting a political seat.

The businessman also claimed that he was no longer a preacher at the Jesus Culture Ministry, having branched out to start his company.

He argued that it was not practical to process 4,000 clients since setting up shop.

On April 24, Police in Nairobi raided Worthstart Africa offices at Pension Towers after victims recorded statements on how they were conned money by the alleged company's director.

The authorities alleged that the over 4,000 job seekers each paid a fee ranging from Sh100,000 to Sh140,000 to Worthstart Africa as agency fees for the processing of their overseas job application and visas.

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