Erick Adede, the man in the controversy surrounding Sh2 billion fake money that was intercepted on Tuesday at Barclays Bank, Queens branch in Nairobi, is not a stranger within Kenyan politics.
DCI George Kinoti published names of six people suspected to have been conducting money laundering and fraud, with Dr Adede being the chief suspect given that he had hired a safe box at the bank.
"The six suspects are: Dr Erick Adede-Owner of the Box, Mr Ahmed Shah- Fake Investor Ms Elizabeth Muthoni, Ms Irene Wairimu Kimani, Mr Boaz Ochich - Bank official, Mr Charles Manzi-Bank officialAlso held for statement recording is a witness who would have been conned," tweeted the DCI.
But his involvement with Raila Odinga's ODM party could raise political temperatures give that it emerged that he has never resigned from the Orange party.
Records indicate that Dr Adede participated in Orange Democratic Movement party primaries in 2017 at Homa Bay Town constituency where he lost to the current holder Opondo Kaluma.
And in 2014, reveals the Standard, Dr Adede contested for Gor Mahia club chairman position where he lost to lawyer Ambros Rachier. Initially, he had raised concerns about the club's inability to have assets despite being the oldest football team in Kenya.
“I want to bring sanity in how the club is managed. We need proper structures to help raise our revenues. It is sad that since the club was formed, it has no tangible assets apart from the team bus,” he said.
DCI George Kinoti insists that Dr Adede and the team could have conned millions of Kenyans in the name of investiments, adding that his team suspects that the network has been running the unscrupulous business since 2017.