Baracuda Airways CEO, four employees in court for allegedly conning jobseekers Sh9.7m

A chief executive officer and four employees of an airways company appeared in court Monday for allegedly cheating jobseekers of Sh9.7 million.

The five were accused of cheating the job seekers that they would taken for training as pilots and cabin crew in South Africa and Dubai.

Mr Kimeria Boddie Maina, the CEO of Baracuda Airways Holdings Limited, his two directors John Odhiambo Majiwa and Elizabeth Wanjiku Kinyanjui were produced before a Nairobi resident magistrate Ms Tobiko N Sinkiyian.

They were also accompanied by two other Baracuda employees, Stellah Ivy Amaya and Barbra Modani Alwena.

The company accounts have been frozen.

Remanded

Ms Sinkiyian was urged by a State prosecutor Robert Nyoro to remand the five at the Pangani Flying Squad police unit to assist in investigations over reports they had received millions of shillings from unsuspecting job seekers.

“I urge this court to order these suspects be detained for more investigations to be carried out,” Mr Nyoro stated , adding, “Police got orders to freeze the company accounts with a view of preserving any monies held therein.”

Mr Nyoro told Ms Sinkiyian that police have been given an order to freeze the accounts of the company held at Standard Chartered Bank Limited, Chiromo Branch.

The State prosecutor pleaded with the magistrate to lock up the suspects at Pangani and Muthaiga police stations respectively for five days.

But Maina opposed the detention request saying he was arrested on February 23 and has been in custody all through.

“Police should not be allowed to detain for another five days. My fundamental rights will be infringed blatantly. I will cooperate with them. Release me on bond,” the suspect urged.

Ms Sinkiyian released him on a Sh100,000 cash bail and directed the four to be detained until Tuesday when they will appear in court for further directions.

Victims of the fraud turned up in court to follow the proceedings.