NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 14 – Police on Wednesday said they were investigating the source of text messages that have been circulating warning Prime Bank customers that the institution was about to collapse due to the Triton fuel scandal.
This follows an official complaint lodged by the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Bharat Jani to Central Bank’s chief Security officer George Kinoti.
In a letter to Mr Kinoti, the Bank’s CEO states that “the rumours are being circulated from sinister sources through telephone conversations, SMS’s and small interface meetings.”
Part of the letter dated January 14 states; “We formally report the matter to your kind office for an urgent investigation with a view to stop such criminal activities against a banking institution and against Kenyan economy at large.”
In an interview with Capital News late Wednesday, Mr Jani confirmed that Triton was running an account at the bank but said the financial institution was “not in any way involved in the mega scam”
“Because of customer confidentiality, I may not be able to divulge the value but it is very very small as compared to the size of our bank and size of our capital base and it is also fully secured so there is absolutely no reason for any of my clients to panic. None of these scandals in any way affect Prime Bank,” he said.
Central Bank’s chief Security officer Mr Kinoti told Capital News that investigations had already commenced.
He said he was handling the investigations jointly with the Nairobi Area Provincial CID chief Futu Mwachai.
In a letter dated January 14, Mr Kinoti explains that “the Bank management and clients are in fear notwithstanding the economic sabotage envisaged.”
“The CBK management is greatly concerned of this economic crime affecting many Kenyans,” the letter in our possession states in part.
“Kindly, it is our appeal, you please expeditiously bring the crooks to justice and restore the calm and assurance of both the bank and clients,” it adds.
A senior CID officer involved in the investigations told Capital News they had already contacted two mobile operators to help identify suspects involved.
He said they had already obtained mobile phone numbers of the suspects which will facilitate in the investigations.
“The probe is going on well, we will catch up with them very soon,” the source said.
