The over Ksh600 million job racket involving flashy city preacher James Wanjohi has taken a new twist after officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) intensified his manhunt.
DCI detectives investigating the case on April 25, 2024, moved to stop the preacher and three others from leaving the country as he remains on the run.
The four allegedly obtained the money fraudulently by scamming jobseekers that they would help them acquire travel visas and seek jobs abroad.
Detectives are pursuing Wanjohi and the three for allegedly conning thousands of Kenyans a total amount of over Ksh1 billion.
In their pursuit, the detectives through the Immigration Department put a stop order for them not to fly out of the country as the probe into the scam continues.
DCI issues stop order
The three other directors included in the stop order are the proprietor of Zuri Overseas Travel Agency and two other directors associated with Amble Beginnings Consult Limited.
Also Read: New Twist as DCI Launch Manhunt for Pastor Who Conned Jobseekers Ksh600M
They allegedly received over Ksh800 million from Kenyans with a promise of offering job opportunities abroad.
Wanjohi who is the founder and proprietor of Worth Start Travel Agency on his part is said to have conned more than 4,000 Kenyans seeking greener pastures abroad with the amount accumulating to over Ksh600 million.
Among other moves made by detectives is the sanctioning of all vehicles registered by Wanjohi’s name which saw the detectives put a notice on them
They include a Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Prado, and a Toyota Landcruiser which police believe were acquired through the proceeds accumulated in the racket.
On the other hand, DCI officers are also in the process of stopping the pastor from liquidating his properties believed to be proceeds of crime.
Also Read: Police Shoot and Kill Pastor Caught Robbing a Shop
The moves came after the sleuths raided the pastor’s Worth Start Africa company offices last week where they carted away documents, safes and eight Mac desktops to aid in investigations into the job scam.
Innocent Kenyans scammed
Unsuspecting victims while speaking to the press revealed that they were shocked to have been scammed by the preacher after putting all their faith in him.
One witness who had paid over Ksh100,000 for his relative to travel abroad for a job revealed how he has been living on being promised that his documents will be ready in three months anytime he visited the offices to check on the progress.
The witness is among a list of more than 4,000 Kenyans who paid amounts of between Ksh100,000 to 140,000 to the Preacher’s company with the hope of securing jobs abroad.
Detectives in the Nairobi area have since launched a manhunt for the preacher and two of the other directors after they went under following a sting operation by detectives at their companies.
One of the other directors Kavaya has since recorded a statement with police who are investigating the case.
According to Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Boss Peter Njeru, DCI officers are investigating over 100 companies alleged to be involved in the business of exporting labor without proper documentation from the government.
Pastor Wanjohi’s Worth Start Travel Agency has been listed by the National Employment Authority among 39 companies flagged as unregistered by the authority to operate.
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