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In a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Monday, Christopher Joseph Okal, his brother Vincent Anyumba and their mother Grace Minayo Okal were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison by the Kisumu Magistrate’s Court for money laundering and related offences.
In a statement by DCI on Wednesday, the suspects, Martin Kariuki Maina and Johnson Gituma Mwangi were arrested by detectives from the DCI Nairobi Regional Office in the Roysambu area following investigations into a complaint lodged by the retailer.
Operation Jackal IV, conducted between November 2025 and June 2026 by INTERPOL brought together 22 countries from six continents in an effort to disrupt criminal networks including Black Axe and other groups accused of running romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams, as well as business email compromise fraud.
Kanjama warned that the cases risk undermining public confidence in the justice system and called on members of the Bar to strengthen self-regulation and uphold the ethical standards expected of the profession
The lender says the dismissals were triggered by direct involvement in fraud-related activities targeting the bank and its clients, an increase from 34 employees who were shown the door in 2024 for similar misconduct.
Security teams say operations are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects, with detectives maintaining pressure on what they describe as a structured financial crime group.
Only 35 percent of the digital lenders are carrying out enhanced due diligence, a critical process for identifying risky customers and transactions.