The Director of Public Prosecutions has arraigned two more suspects in the Sh1.5 billion fraud case involving the Programme for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovation & Technology (PROFIT), with the accused facing charges linked to funds allegedly paid for services that were not rendered.
Charles Cheruiyot Maiyo, a director of Kaplan Logistics Ltd, and Auma Ritah Otieno, the sole proprietor of Ritasshell Enterprises, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate’s Court for plea taking.
The two suspects, together with their respective companies, face three counts each of unlawful acquisition of public property, acquisition of proceeds of crime and money laundering. Both denied the charges when they were presented before the court.
According to the prosecution, Maiyo is accused of unlawfully acquiring Sh4,960,310 from a Kenya Commercial Bank account held in the name of PROFIT. The money was allegedly paid for services that were not rendered. He is also accused of receiving the funds while knowing, or having reason to believe, that they were proceeds of crime.
Otieno faces a similar allegation involving Sh3,412,300 allegedly transferred from the PROFIT account for services that were not rendered. The prosecution further alleges that she knew, or had reason to believe, that the money constituted proceeds of crime.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Susan Kelly and Principal Prosecution Counsel Faith Mwila, did not oppose the suspects being released on bond. However, they asked the court to impose conditions that would reflect the seriousness of the allegations.
The prosecution asked the court to require the suspects to surrender their passports, remain within its jurisdiction and avoid any contact or interference with witnesses.
The defence teams sought lenient terms, pointing out that the suspects had voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and arguing that they were not directly involved in the alleged offences. Maiyo’s lawyer also opposed the passport requirement, citing his client’s frequent business travel.
After hearing both sides, the court granted each suspect a bond of Sh1.5 million with a surety of a similar amount, or cash bail of Sh600,000.
The court directed the suspects to deposit their passports by close of business on August 24, 2026. They were also ordered to attend court physically unless otherwise directed and to refrain from interfering with witnesses.
The case will come up for mention on September 2, 2026.
