A man who pretended to be a lawyer and conned a woman sh.30,000 was arraigned in a Nakuru court on Thursday to face fraud and false pretense charges.
Principal Resident Magistrate James Mwaniki was told that Philip Kagiri, 46, posing as an advocate based in Nakuru had approached the complainant Philis Kiliku on January 5 this year at the Nakuru law courts grounds after she had attended a court case proceedings against her nephew.
The accused, the court was told that had promised to assist secure a cash bond for the complainant’s nephew, who had been denied one in a robbery with violence case, and also to successfully represent him during the hearing at a relatively lower fee as compared with other advocates.
The prosecution desk held that the accused had on that day invited the complainant for lunch at a popular joint in town frequented by law professionals, and later took her to her ‘office’ located along Moses Mudavadi road in Nakuru town where they exchanged contacts.
The packed court was further told that the accused had started communicating to the complainant the following day and gave her an offer of Sh30,000 from the initial offer of SH60,000 whereas the money was to exchange hands on the material day of him applying for the bond.
However, the accused had soon terminated communications by switching off his phone, and went missing from his office and court grounds soon after receiving the money through a mobile phone money transfer.
The prosecution told the magistrate that the accused was however arrested from the court grounds on February 16 this month, after investigations that were launched by police bore fruits after the complainant recorded a statement at the Criminal Investigations Department on January 9.
The accused however denied the charges and was released on a Sh80,000 cash bond.
The case will be heard on March 13.