Influencer Pascaline Peter, also known as Passy Ma Trevor, has been charged at the Milimani Law Courts with obtaining Kes 80 million from 79 individuals through false pretense.
In a statement on Thursday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the 36-year-old self-proclaimed businesswoman was charged alongside one George Mutual Mutunga alias Iman, another suspect implicated in the scam.
The ODPP highlighted that the duo lured unsuspecting individuals with promises of monthly returns of 23.5 percent on investments, only to later steal their hard-earned cash.
"Prosecuting Counsel Ms. Kaaria Joy Kawira told court the accused persons obtained over Ksh.80 million from 79 complainants while pretending the amount would earn a monthly return on interest on the amount invested, a fact they knew to be false.”
"The accused persons obtained the money on diverse dates between 3rd March 2023 and 30th August 2024 at unknown place within the Republic of Kenya."
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The two suspects were also charged with operating an unlicensed collective investment scheme violating regulations set by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
"The Court heard that on diverse dates between 3rd March 2023 and 30th August of the following year, the accused persons represented as genuine sole proprietors of Passy Ma Trevor investment scheme carried out a business as a collective investment scheme without a valid license.”
Further, the ODPP revealed that the suspects both pleaded not guilty to the charges before Makadara Court Principal Magistrate Erick Mutunga, with the prosecution opposing their release on bond pending the hearing and determination of the case.
"In an affidavit to oppose bond, investigating officer Justin Mutwiri said the accused persons went into hiding when the complainants demanded their return on investment and later switched off their mobile phones whereby it took intensive use of intelligence tactics from different agencies to smoke them from their hideouts deep inside Machakos County.”
"The investigating officer further told the court the suspects are likely to interfere with major witnesses, don’t have a fixed abode, and are a flight risk. The victims' lawyer also asked the court not to release the suspects on bond."
The court will issue directions on whether the pair will be released on bond on November 13, 2024.
