A 30-year-old man has been apprehended by authorities in Kiambu County for allegedly swindling high-ranking individuals, including a Principal Secretary, a renowned businessman, and a senior Kenya Power official, by impersonating a prominent journalist and radio host.
The suspect, Julius Gacheru Wangari, alias Chris, is accused of exploiting his journalism background to solicit funds under the guise of Eric Latiff, a respected journalist and host of “The Situation Room” show on Spice FM.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Wangari’s modus operandi involved sending “thank you” messages to guests who appeared on Latiff’s show, posing as the host.
He would then request financial assistance, claiming to be in a dire situation. The unsuspecting victims, likely swayed by Latiff’s credibility, reportedly lost thousands of shillings to the scam.
Wangari, a diploma holder from a renowned media institution and a former employee of a religious FM radio station, was apprehended at his base in Zambezi, Kikuyu area. Investigators seized communication gadgets suspected of being used in the fraudulent scheme.
“Crucial evidence, including the SIM cards used to send messages to targeted victims and receive the solicited money, was found on him and has since been surrendered to the Digital Forensic Laboratory for analysis,” the DCI statement read.
Eric Latiff, the journalist whose identity was exploited, took to social media to address the issue, stating, “Julius Gacheru Wangari has been messaging senior government, MPs, party officials + private sector managers soliciting ‘chai’ after/for appearing on @SpiceFMKE The Situation Room. Neither Spice FM nor my personal policy would see me asking for such money.”
A Milimani court has granted detectives at the Nairobi Regional Headquarters seven days to complete investigations into the matter.
