Second Year Meru University IT dropout arrested for defrauding Betika millions of money
Paul Nyongesa
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a 26-year-old Meru University dropout accused of orchestrating an elaborate electronic fraud scheme that saw Betika, one of Kenya’s largest betting companies, lose Sh11.4 million.
The suspect, identified as Seth Mwabe, was arrested on Saturday morning at his residence in Tatu City, Kiambu County, following weeks of intensive investigations by the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit.
Detectives say Mwabe, who dropped out of university while pursuing a degree in Information Technology, has been linked to several cybercrime cases.
According to Central Region Criminal Investigations Officer Dr. Abraham Mugambe, Mwabe initially refused to grant detectives access to his apartment, forcing officers to break in. Once inside, police reportedly found a fully equipped computer laboratory believed to have been used to execute cyber-attacks.
Among the items recovered were high-performance computers, a money-counting machine, and a safe, which investigators described as tools of trade for the illicit operations.
Dr. Mugambe noted that the equipment pointed to what appeared to be a “nerve centre of IT operations” used to defraud unsuspecting institutions.
He assured the public that the police remain vigilant against electronic crime, adding that perpetrators will not escape justice.
Despite the evidence collected, Mwabe has denied involvement in fraud, claiming instead that he has been offering IT consultancy services.
Detectives, however, maintain that they have linked him to the electronic siphoning of millions of shillings from the betting firm.
The police are seeking approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge Mwabe under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.
Authorities are also pursuing the recovery of assets suspected to be proceeds of the alleged fraud.
Mwabe is currently being held at Capitol Hill Police Station in Nairobi and is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.
