Police have been allowed to detain a woman accused of defrauding Kenyans while masquerading as a State official.
Joy Wangari Kamau alias Patricia Mareka is accused of presenting herself as a Statehouse employee able to provide a tender for a military surveillance system.
Among the complainants is Mr Charles Nganga who told the court that the woman defrauded him Sh136 million, purporting to be able to award him the tender.
On May 30, 2018, she is accused of offering another fraudulent tender, while pretending to be Deputy President William Ruto's employee, where she claimed to offer a laptop tender worth Sh180m.
On this charge, it is reported that Kamau and others who did not appear in court proceeded to receive the laptops from Makindu Motors Limited along Mombasa Road.
They are said to have presented fake local purchasing orders from the deputy president's office, which landed her before Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atambo on Tuesday.
The judge dismissed the accused's lawyer Njau Kayai's plea for bail on grounds that she is mentally ill, after the prosecution challenged the plea, requesting to have her detained in police custody.
Though her lawyer availed hospital papers, the prosecution argued that such documents can be obtained from the doctor without really meaning that the person in question is mentally disturbed.
Justice Atambo ordered Kamau to be detained at the Langata Women's Prison until November 5, pending her bond hearing.
She is also facing charges of falsely presenting herself as a State House employee and forging tender documents signed by Major General Fatuma Ahmed Gaiti.