Zachary Mwangi Kariuki: Conman facing 20 fraud cases, eight arrest warrants

Zachary Mwangi Kariuki, a wanted con-artist who was arrested on Friday, is set to be arraigned in a Nairobi court on Monday.

Kariuki had been on the loose despite having eight warrants of arrest on his head and close to 20 fraud cases in court.

He was arrested in Limuru following an array of complaints to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Flying squad detectives arrested him after what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to fail to arrest him by officers.

Since his arrest on Friday evening, 24 people have presented themselves to the flying squad headquarters claiming to have lost between Ksh.250,000 and Ksh.1.9 million to Kariuki.

Police say, through his firm – Imperial World Ventures – Kariuki allegedly lured his victims to deposit large sums of money which he claims to invest in, then earn a percentage of profit per month.

Kariuki is also likely to be face impersonation charges as he is alleged to have swindled Ksh.600,000 from a Nyandarua politician pretending to be connected to influential government officials who would give him work on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

He is also suspected to have impersonated a State House employee and conned two businessmen Ksh.10 million promising them a meeting with the president and subsequent lucrative government tenders.

Sources say senior police officers alleged to have offered Kariuki protection from arrest for a long time are under investigations.