This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
On September 3, 2019, a shocking case of forgery and impersonation came to light in Nairobi's magistrate's court. Joseph Mwangi Nduta, popularly known as Joe Mwangi, was arrested and charged with forging a letter that threatened Magdalene Syombua, the mother of Acrobat Waeni.
According to the prosecution, Joe Mwangi impersonated Interior Cabinet Minister Fred Matiang'i in the letter, which was emailed to Ms. Syombua. The letter was part of a sinister plot to intimidate Waeni's mother, and the police have taken the document and devices used to create it for forensic examination.
The results of the forensic examination are yet to be released, but the police have confirmed that they are looking for Joe Mwangi in connection with forgery and issuing threats to Waeni's mother. The suspect went into hiding after the DCI tweeted about the investigation on Friday.
Prosecutors told Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi that Joe Mwangi was planning to flee to London to avoid being charged in court. However, the court issued an arrest warrant, and Joe Mwangi eventually surrendered himself to the police on Monday.
Magistrate Ochoi directed Joe Mwangi to be detained for five days pending investigations in his forgery charge case.
