Irene, a Kenyan woman working as a househelp in Saudi Arabia, embarked on a journey back to Kenya in a desperate bid to retrieve KSh 300,000 that was mistakenly sent to the wrong number via mobile money and subsequently withdrawn.
The ordeal began when Irene’s employer visited a bank in Saudi Arabia on November 21, 2023, intending to send the money to her sister.
However, due to an error by the bank teller, the funds were transferred to an incorrect recipient.
Recalling the incident in a TikTok video shared by Derrick Mbugua on Facebook, Irene revealed that the teller admitted to making the mistake, explaining that instead of processing the transaction through the bank as instructed, he sent it through M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service. The recipient swiftly withdrew the funds upon receiving them.
Determined to recover the lost money, Irene promptly traveled to Kenya, arriving at midnight.
She immediately reported the incident to the Kasarani police station and was assigned an occurrence book (OB) number.
With the help of Lucy, Irene’s acquaintance, legal action was pursued to investigate the recipient, identified as Otieno, and trace the transferred funds.
Lucy obtained permission from the court to access Otieno’s records at Safaricom, confirming the receipt of the money.
However, Irene alleged that she was asked for KSh 20,000 to facilitate Otieno’s arrest.
Despite complying with the request, she claimed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers provided evasive responses, falsely claiming that Otieno was in Tanzania.
After persistent efforts from Irene, Otieno was eventually apprehended.
However, Irene further claimed that she was asked to send KSh 3,000 for cab fare, only to realize later that the money was misappropriated by one of the officers.
In a shocking turn of events, Irene alleged that Lucy advised her not to accept the remaining KSh 100,000 recovered from Otieno, as it was purportedly intended for payment to the officers.
Feeling betrayed, Irene severed contact with Lucy and the DCI officers.
Efforts to reach Lucy for comment were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
The saga underscores the challenges faced by individuals navigating financial disputes, particularly across borders, and highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in law enforcement procedures.
As Irene continues to seek justice, her story serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities of pursuing recourse in cases of financial fraud and misconduct.
