This archive report was first published on 14 September 2019.
September 4, 2019, marked the beginning of a nightmare for Zimbabwean Buberry Bonnie Newman, who had jetted into Kenya to finalize paperwork for his wedding with his Kenyan girlfriend, Susan Bwan.
However, instead of a joyous occasion, Mr. Newman found himself behind bars the next day, facing charges of defilement.
According to court testimony, Mr. Newman, 51, had met Ms. Bwan on an online dating site five years ago, and their relationship had progressed well until his first visit in December last year.
During his second visit, Mr. Newman was received by his fiancée and some children aged between 14 and 17 years at Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
He claimed that the children belonged to Ms. Bwan's friends and neighbors, who had made it a norm to visit her during school holidays.
However, police investigations later revealed that the allegations of defilement were false and had been made by Ms. Mutaiwua, a friend of Ms. Bwan, who had lied to fix the foreigner and fleece him.
Ms. Mutaiwua and her daughter were key witnesses in another case involving Turkish tycoon Elsek Osman, accused of defiling a minor and committing indecent acts with three others against their will.
Mr. Newman denied the allegations, stating that it was impossible to defile the minor in the presence of the eight people who were in the one-bedroom house that night.
He also claimed that he did not sleep close to any of the girls he was alleged to have defiled and did not know Ms. Mutaiwua personally.
Mr. Newman has since cancelled the wedding, and the case against Ms. Mutaiwua continues, with her facing a possible life imprisonment sentence if found guilty.
