DCI wants First Choice boss Judy Jepchirchir prosecuted for defrauding youths

The director of controversial First Choice Recruitment Agency and Consultancy Agency Judy Jepchirchir who is accused of defrauding over 8,000 youths in Uasin Gishu and Nandi Counties over Sh1 billion will be prosecuted for obtaining money by false pretense.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Investigations Bureau Paul Wachira told the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had recorded statements from 201 victims and was still looking for more.

Mr Wachira told the committee chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor that the DCI had received a report from Human Rights and Democracy Director Kipkurui Ngetich that the Director of First Choice obtained Sh8,034,560 from members of the public.

“The investigation has been completed and the file forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution on September 9 this year with recommendation that First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Director Judy Chepchirchir be charged with the offence of obtaining money by false pretense contrary to section 313 of the penal code,” said Wachira.

The police boss said that the Director of Public Prosecution returned the file with the direction that the DCI confirms whether the institutions namely Mahad Manpower, Friends Manpower and Aletqwan Manpower all situated in Qatar had a contract with First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency.

Murgor said the Senate Committee had fined Jepchirchir Sh500,000 and summoned her to appear before it on October 3 after she failed to honour an invite to appear before it yesterday alongside representatives of the victims and other relevant state agencies.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said that it should be noted that Jepchirchir has never appeared before the Senate in good faith for the last two years that the matter has been under investigation and that the few times she has appeared was after summons were issued.

“This lady seems to be untouchable because since the victims raised their voices over the injustices they have faced nothing has been done. That is why we are saying she should be fined and summoned to appear before this committee without fail,” said Cherargei.

Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo said that the victims are tired of being taken around in circles and that they want justice since most of them came from very humble backgrounds and had sold their family land with some who are motorbike riders selling their bikes with the promise of securing good jobs in what turned out to be well a crafted con scheme.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka had an altercation with the Deputy CEO of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Abdi Mohamud after he told off the state agency for failing to act on the allegations.

“I am of the opinion that the EACC should be disbanded since I am not even sure that they are okay with the role it is playing in fighting corruption since the commission is not taking the matters seriously,” said Onyonka.

Mahmoud termed Onyonka’s utterances as unfair asking him to tell the Senate committee whether he had any evidence of EACC officials receiving bribes from anyone since he had on several occasions spoken in a demeaning manner about the commission in Radio and Television interviews.

He irked Senators when he asked Onyonka to meet him outside the committee room once the sitting ended. 

Cherargei and Madzayo stated the Kisii Senator can only meet the EACC Deputy CEO in their presence asking and demanded to know  the reason of wanting to meet him.

Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba said that the victims wanted the money back since most of them had suffered since some had even resigned or closed their businesses and took their little savings to the agency with the hopes that they will get good jobs which were not available.

The Senate committee had last year ordered First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited to refund thousands of youths millions of shillings that it acquired from them with promises of assisting them to get jobs and study abroad but failed to do so within one month.

The Committee which has been investigating the defrauding of over 8,000 youths from Uasin Gishu and neighbouring Counties of more than Sh 1 billion in a report tabled before the Senate also recommended the disbandment and reconstitution of the National Employment Authority.

The Committee recommended that  Assets Recovery Agency to repossesses the properties owned by First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited Directors Judy Jepchirchir and Faith Wariga in the event that they do not refund all the monies owed to the petitioners and use the funds to refund the petitioners:

“The Senate recommends that the bank accounts of the First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited and those of its Directors Judy Jepchirchir and Faith Wariga be frozen by the relevant authorities until the millions of shillings owed to the thousands of victims are fully recovered,” said the report.

The Senate directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the National Employment Authority to issue a public notice in at least two local dailies with nationwide circulation directing First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited to cease its recruitment operations with immediate effect:

The First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited and its other closely related and associated agencies were directed to cease any further operations recruitment and placement for a period of not less than five years and should be closely monitored by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation.