A Dandora man has been convicted on five counts after pleading guilty to charges linked to the wrongful retention and use of Sh250,000 mistakenly transferred to his bank account.
The man appeared before the Senior Principal Magistrate's Court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday, October 26, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2026.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the case began on September 4, when the complainant mistakenly transferred Sh250,000 to the man's bank account.
Detectives from Wilson Airport launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the transaction and trace the money.
The investigators subsequently obtained a court order in JKIA Miscellaneous Criminal Application No. E184 of 2026, authorising investigations into the recipient's bank account.
The probe established that the man had withdrawn Sh150,000 in three instalments before the bank blocked the remaining balance, the DCI said.
Detectives later launched a manhunt and arrested him at his hideout near a petrol station in Dandora on October 23.
He was subsequently charged with five offences, including intentional withholding of an electronic payment delivered erroneously. He pleaded guilty to all five counts and was convicted accordingly.
The man remains in custody pending sentencing.
The DCI warned members of the public against retaining or spending money mistakenly deposited into their accounts, citing Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, which criminalises the intentional withholding of an electronic payment delivered in error.
The agency advised anyone who receives money erroneously to notify their bank immediately and follow the official reversal process.
An erroneous credit, the DCI cautioned, does not give the recipient the right to spend the money.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reminds members of the public that Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, criminalises the intentional withholding of an electronic payment delivered in error,” DCI said.
“Anyone who receives money erroneously should notify their bank immediately and follow the official reversal process. An erroneous credit is not a licence to spend.”
On Sunday, detectives arrested a man accused of spending Sh6.7 million that was mistakenly deposited into his bank account, with prosecutors recommending charges of withholding an erroneously delivered payment and money laundering.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday, October 24, along Lantana Road in Westlands, Nairobi, by detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The case dates back to November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments, including rent of Sh72,000 owed to the suspect for its shop in Suswa.
However, an error during the transaction process allegedly resulted in an additional Sh6,744,354 intended for another company being deposited into his account alongside the rent payment.
“The company sought the recovery of the funds, but the suspect allegedly spent the money instead of returning it to the rightful owner,” the DCI said in its statement.
The incident prompted an investigation by detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit, who forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review.
