Man Arrested Over Spending of Sh6.7mn Mistakenly Credited to His Bank Account

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26 — Detectives have arrested a man accused of spending Sh6.7 million that was mistakenly deposited into his bank account, following an investigation into the erroneous transfer.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Dickson Yiaile Sitei was arrested on Saturday, along Lantana Road in Westlands, Nairobi.

According to the DCI, the incident occurred on November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments, including Sh72,000 in rent owed to Sitei for the company’s shop in Suswa.

However, a processing error resulted in an additional Sh6,744,354 intended for another company being credited to Sitei’s account.

The DCI said the company subsequently sought to recover the money, but Sitei allegedly spent the funds despite being asked to return the amount that had been transferred in error.

The matter was investigated by detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (BFIU), who forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review.

Following the review, the ODPP directed that Sitei be charged with intentional withholding of an erroneously delivered payment under Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, No. 5 of 2018.

He is also expected to face a money laundering charge under the Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Act.

The DCI said Sitei was in custody undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.

The charges are yet to be presented before a court, and the allegations against him remain unproven.

The DCI cautioned members of the public against assuming that money mistakenly deposited into their bank accounts automatically becomes theirs.

The agency said individuals who deliberately retain or spend funds transferred to them in error risk facing criminal charges.

The case highlights the potential legal consequences of spending money received through an erroneous bank transfer rather than notifying the relevant financial institution or sender and arranging for its return.

The DCI urged the public to ensure that mistakenly credited funds are returned, warning that deliberate withholding of such money could attract criminal liability.