Ceaser Kingori, director Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd.
Detectives from Nairobi investigating a recruitment agency that has since been blacklisted by government following claims of conning job seekers Sh720 million have been transferred to far-flung stations.
Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Officer Njeru Nthigah, who led investigations against Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd, is among 12 police officers transferred to stations, some near Boni Forest, in Kilifi, Samburu and Garissa.
Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd, owned by Mr Ceaser Kingori, was exposed in a Nation.Africa exclusive report that detailed how the director of the firm under investigation on claims of fraudulent overseas jobs exploited a visit to Germany by President Ruto to sign labour agreements between the two nations.
Mr Kingori was not officially part of the high-level delegation, but he paid his way to Berlin during the tour on September 13 and 14 and posed for a photograph with Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, which he used to intimidate investigators.
At the time, detectives had summoned him as more complaints were lodged against his firm by desperate job- seekers but on return from Germany, Vintmark advertised what it termed as new job opportunities in Germany to lure more victims.
Mr Nthigah had set up a team of six detectives to investigate Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd over allegations that it had scammed job seekers in non-existent jobs in Canada, United Kingdom, Dubai, among other European and Arab countries.
At the time, Mr Nthigah told Nation.Africa that Mr Kingori had ignored summons to record a statement after numerous complaints were filed against his company. He had instead shared a photo of him with CS Mutua in the sidelines of the President’s Germany tour.
''It has reached a point now that Mr Kingori has become elusive and when he was summoned last week but one by the investigative officers to record more statements after another group came up claiming Vintmark Tours Travel Ltd has scammed them, he responded to the investigating officer that he was in Germany and went ahead to share his photo with a cabinet secretary.
“I plan to have a meeting with the Labour and Social Protection CS Alfred Mutua and explain to him how deep the fraud is in the recruitment agencies and tangible interventions that need to be effected with speed because the trend is worrying,” Mr Nthigah told Nation.Africa at the time.
CS Mutua then told Nation.Africa that most agents who were part of the Germany delegation had paid their own tickets after making requests to the government.
''Many recruitment agents travelled to Berlin to witness the signing of the bilateral labour agreement and to connect with German employment companies and to network. Those that asked us whether they wanted to also be in Berlin and make contacts, we said sawa (ok).
“All these agents paid their own way. Recruitment agents who flew from Kenya or who are resident in Germany were over 50,” said Dr Mutua at the time.
The expose on the activities of Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd by Nation.Africa on September 24 prompted the National Employment Authority (NEA), the industry regulator, to revive a stalled investigation against the firm which led to its license being revoked.
Some detectives said that after the expose, which was the latest in a series of reports on the scandals, some of the directors adversely mentioned in the scams had threatened them with transfers.
Yesterday, Nation.Africa confirmed that Mr Nthigah was transferred a day after the expose on Mr Kingori. He was replaced by Mr Benson Kasyoki, formerly the Eastern Regional Criminal Investigations Officer.
Mr Nthigah has been posted to Western Region as the Criminal Investigations Officer. Others in the team that he had assembled have been transferred to Kilifi, Samburu and Garissa.
Nation.Africa yesterday contacted Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja about the transfers and whether they were a punishment for the investigations against Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd as alleged.
Mr Kanja said he was not aware of the developments but added it would be worrying if that were the case.
Mr Kanja instead referred us to DCI boss Mohammed Amin.
''I am not privy to that information and kindly allow me to refer you to Mr Amin. But that would be shocking if indeed that is what has happened. Maybe he (Amin) is not even aware,’’ Mr Kanja told Nation.Africa.
Sought for comment, Mr Amin confirmed that the 12 officers from Nairobi area had been transferred but denied that the move was meant to scatter the investigations,
Mr Amin said he is aware of the Vintmark Travel Agency case and promised that in the coming days, the director will be arraigned in court.
''It is true about what you are asking that some detectives who were handling Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd from the Nairobi area have been transferred, but it has nothing to do with the Vintmark Investigations. The 12 officers were transferred and most of them had overstayed in the station,’’ Mr Amin told Nation.Africa.
Mr Kingori yesterday declined to respond to calls and text messages on the fate of his victims and reports that he influenced the transfer of the investigators.
Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd has been trying to broker a truce with NEA but the negotiations fell apart after the firm maintained that it would only refund money to the victims once its license is restored.
The detectives affected by the transfers were also probing the cases against Amble Beginning Consult and Frac and Calp owned by Alphonse Kioko who is also accused of conning victims Sh890 million.
When one of the firms got in trouble, Mr Kioko teamed up with Hannah Kaniu of Trevaron Travel and Tours Ltd. They both promised job seekers employment in Germany, United Kingdom and other Arab countries. But after payments were done, the victims could no longer reach those who had promised them the jobs.
The officers were also investigating WorthStart Africa, WorthStart Travel Agency and WorthStart Barista Technical Institute owned by Pastor James Wanjohi who is accused of fraudulently obtaining Sh600 million from job seekers.
Records from the registrar of companies showed Kingori, Wanjohi, Kioko and Kaniu are respective directors of the companies that have been adversely mentioned.
The transferred detectives had successfully forwarded the files of the alleged job scammers to the office of the director of public prosecutions for their recommendation.
Ironically, at the height of the controversy, CS Mutua publicised in the local dailies a list of rogue recruitment agencies but left out Vintmark Travel Agency Ltd, WorthStart Africa, WorthStart Travel Agency and WorthStart Barista Technical Institute, Amble Beginning Consult and Frac and Calp as well as Trevaron Travel and Tours Ltd that have cumulatively scammed vulnerable job seekers close to Sh2 billion.
