Ambrose Makech Abuti, the man behind the Eldoret-based multi-billion-shilling Spring Mark Investment scam has fled the country, a highly placed security source revealed.
Abuti is said to have fled to South Sudan via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) last month leaving his victims crying for justice after being swindled out of more than Sh2.4 billion in a fake investment scheme.
Judiciary officers, university lecturers, prominent businessmen and women, lawyers, politicians, medical doctors and police officers are among 600 unsuspecting investors who were duped by the fugitive to invest their money in the pyramid scheme
Others who fell into the trap include bishops from various churches and their members, primary and high school teachers in Rift Valley and Western regions respectively.
The suspect, a father of two, has been evading police dragnet for the last year by changing from one location to another while using different mobile phone numbers belonging to friends to communicate with some of his victims.
His mobile phones were traced to various towns of Kabarnet, Iten, Eldoret, Kitale, Nairobi and Murang’a two months ago during the period he was on police radar before he switched them off.
Pursuing suspect
Uasin Gishu County Police Commandeer Benjamin Mwanthi said local police jointly with detectives from the DCI headquarters in Nairobi are in hot pursuit of the suspect.
“We are made to understand that he was sighted at the JKIA last month by one of the victims en route to Southern Sudan trying to escape from the long arm of the law,” said Mwanthi.
He, however, asked the aggrieved victims not to lose hope in the new turn of events assuring them that the police would eventually catch up with him to face the law for his action.
At least more than 500 victims have so far filed their complaints against Abuti with the DCI officers from Nairobi who have been camping at the Central Police Station since last month.
The aggrieved victims come have from as far as Lodwar in Turkana county, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Nakuru, Naivasha and Kericho.
The affected investors were advised to carry along with them deposit statements, deposit slips and any other documents relevant to the botched online forex dealing as the police detectives continued with their investigations into the matter.
Some of the people who fell victim to the con game narrated to the DCI officers from Nairobi how they were enticed to join the scheme with a promise of a monthly interest rate of 18 per cent with the option of withdrawing the funds after six months.
Evangelist-cum-singer
According to William Getumbe, an evangelist cum gospel singer who lost Sh1.2 million in the scheme, the promise by Abuti of high returns led many people including clerics and their congregations to borrow money from banks to invest in the botched online company.
“The mastermind behind the Springmark investment went underground after enticing hundreds of his victims with the promise of substantial returns,” said Getumbe who has been leading street protests to demand the arrest of Abuti and subsequent refund of their money.
