My wife made me dodge court summons in fraud case, former military officer tells court

An ex-military officer charged with fraud has blamed his wife, claiming she was the reason he absconded court summons in Mombasa.

Anthony Maina Mwangi was charged with fraud in December last year. After being granted a cash bail of Sh40,000, he failed to appear for his hearing, forcing the case to proceed in his absence.

He was arrested last week on a warrant after evading court for days. When presented before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, Mwangi blamed his wife for his troubles.

He told the court that after his arrest and charges in December, his wife went to their home, took all his belongings, and disappeared without leaving any trace of her whereabouts.

Raise funds

“I have tried to locate her in vain, and the confusion led me to miss my court hearings. I sincerely apologise and ask the court for leniency. I request that my cash bail be maintained so I can raise funds, including rent for my current house in Nairobi, where I run a taxi business,” Mwangi pleaded with the court.

However, DPP Martin Mbote opposed Mwangi’s release on cash bail, arguing that he had been arrested in Murang’a after weeks of searching for him.

He noted that the accused had not appeared in court since denying the charges in December.

Mwangi was charged alongside Nicholas Mwangi Chomba with intent to defraud by jointly obtaining Sh17,450 from Brian Makari under false pretences.

The two allegedly posed as Kenya Coast Guard Services recruiting officers and claimed they could enlist Makari into the service, knowing this was untrue.

They also denied obtaining Sh6,000 from Pascal Ngowa under similar false pretences.

Additionally, Mwangi and Chomba faced two more charges of forging documents, including medical forms and calling letters, falsely claiming they were issued by the Kenya Coast Guard Services.

The case will be mentioned on Friday, 14th February 2025, when Mwangi is expected to take a fresh plea.