The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been directed by the court to identify two women who are both claiming to be Felister Nyamathira Njoroge - the lady at the centre of Ksh102 million frozen by the State.
Justice Esther Maina on Friday, September 23, 2022, directed the lawyers representing the two women to surrender them at the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) offices within 14 days so that they be escorted to the DCI for identification.
The judge directed the parties to return to court on November 3, 2022, to confirm the outcome of the investigations.
Lawyers Walter Owaga and Farady Nyangoro are representing the two 'Felisters' who are both claiming ownership of Ksh102 million which the State froze on suspicion that it was proceeds of a money-laundering scheme.
Nyangoro told the court that his client Felister was ready to have her fingerprints taken by the DCI for investigations.
“She was in our chambers two weeks ago and we have liaised with an inspector (of police) for her fingerprints to be taken. She was under fear, but we got assurance for her and now she is ready for the fingerprints to be taken,” Nyangoro said.
Owaga on the other hand said his client Felister was outside the country and has a newborn.
“Our client is out of the country and has a child who has no passport. She is fearing for her personal security,” he said.
The two women, through their lawyers, are seeking court orders to compel ARA to unfreeze the Ksh102 million.
ARA in November 2021 obtained an order freezing the accounts, pending the conclusion of investigations into the source of the funds.
Felister given millions by Belgian
Social media went into a frenzy last year when news broke that a 21-year-old student had received Ksh102 million in her account.
Even though Felister received the said amount in her bank, her account was frozen over suspicion of indulging in money laundering.
The Nairobi Technical Institute student moved to court on November 17, 2021, seeking to have the order of freeze of her account lifted when it came out that her boyfriend Marc De Mesel was the one who actually wired the money into her account.
Her Belgian boyfriend is reportedly a dollar millionaire and he is into cryptocurrency.
