By Pascal Ndegwa - Reporter
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Kenya, October 25 ,2026 - Detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (BFIU) have arrested a Nairobi man accused of spending more than Sh6.7 million that was mistakenly credited into his bank account.
The suspect, Dickson Yiaile Sitei, was apprehended on Saturday, October 24, 2026, along Lantana Road in Westlands, Nairobi. He is currently in custody undergoing processing as he awaits arraignment.
According to investigators, the incident began on November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments. Among them was a legitimate rent payment of Sh72,000 owed to Sitei for the company’s Suswa shop.
However, an error during the payment process saw both the rent and Sh6,744,354 intended for another company credited into Sitei’s account. When the company later sought to recover the excess funds, Sitei allegedly did not return the money. Instead, detectives say he spent it.
The matter was then investigated and the case file forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which reviewed the evidence and directed that Sitei be charged.
Sitei is expected to face charges of intentionally withholding an erroneously delivered payment, contrary to Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, No. 5 of 2018. The law criminalises the deliberate concealment or withholding of an electronic payment that has been delivered in error.
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He will also face a money laundering charge under Section 3(b)(1) as read with Section 16(1)(a) of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, Cap 59A. The Act targets persons who knowingly deal with property suspected to be proceeds of crime, including through transactions or other dealings connected to such funds.
The case underscores a principle that many bank customers often misunderstand. Money credited into an account by mistake does not become the recipient’s property simply because it is accessible. Once a person knows, or should reasonably know, that the funds are not theirs, keeping or spending them can lead to criminal prosecution.
The Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act also gives authorities powers to trace, freeze, seize and recover property linked to criminal conduct.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has warned that mistakenly credited funds must be returned to the rightful owner. It said those who deliberately withhold or spend such money will face the full force of the law.