After his Kenyan finance stole and disappeared with Sh5.4 million from his villa at cottage in Malindi, now a German investor is claiming that his life is in danger. – By Ramadhan Kambi.
66-years old Reiner Hans Hermann Kreplin now claims Mercy Adhiambo Achieng stole the money from the villa and since then he has been receiving threatening messages from anonymous people.
Now fearing for his life, Mr Kreplin said he was forced to abandon his house after the incident and has since been moving from one town to another fearing that the alleged fiancée could be trailing him in a bid to kill him.
In an interview the investor said he had just returned to Kenya with huge amount of money to buy the second villa at Harbour key cottages which were to bear the names of the two only for Ms Adhiambo to take part of the cash and disappeared.
“Apart from buying the villa, I had plans to initiate a multi-million irrigation project in the drought-stricken area of Ganze constituency Kilifi County and a recycling plant all which could cost a whooping Sh5 million Euros. But all this has now become a cropper due to the current misfortunes I am going through,” he said in an interview.
Mr Mr Kreplin reported the matter to Malindi police station after the woman went missing and police even accompanied him to his cottage only to find the suitcase had been broken and Sh5.4 Million in foreign currency missing.
“I am now depressed because the police changed the statement from missing fiancée to a criminal case and promised to follow up the matter with a view to arrest her but have never succeeded top date,”
Malindi police said they are aware of the theft report but do not know about the threats of the German investor he is receiving or his whereabouts.
Malindi Deputy Sub county commander Simon Muli who was with the newly deployed Sub County Police commander John Kemboi said he knew about the missing girl.
Speaking in his office Kemboi said he would follow up the matter but advised Kreplin to report to any police station for the DCI to begin investigations.
‘’Tell him to go to the nearest police station wherever he is and report the matter, the DCI will take it over and action shall be taken against the culprit,’’ he said.
The story of Mr Kreplin reads like a movie thriller and narrating his ordeal in undisclosed location out of fear for his life said he first came to Kenya in January 2019 as a tourist.
The German national said he came here to find out what Kenya had to offer as an investment opportunity and was advised by friends from Nairobi to get a house in Mtwapa near Pirates beach which he did two days later.
He said since he had no beer in the house, he went to a resort where he met Adhiambo who was a waiter at the facility and immediately the two hooked up and fell in love.
After two days they went dancing in another club in Mtwapa and helped her buy a new phone as her phone was in bad state.
“In April 29 I went back to Mtwapa and helped her move to a new bedsitter then she took some days off and we went to Malindi where I bought my first villa at Harbor key from an Italian national,” he said in anterview.
He said the process of acquiring the villa was complete and from October 29 they moved in together with Adhiambo in Malindi living with her as an advisor and translator.
“I visited her family in Siaya and supported them financially as I knew I was part of the family.
On the material day, he said that they went for a morning coffee at a restaurant in Malindi and came back she was gone. The key was on its normal position with all closets there and everything intact but the lady did not come back after a long wait.
“After one o’clock I became suspicious and the following day which was on Friday, went to Malindi police station and reported missing person and the officers got him in touch with responsible tourists’ police who took over the matter.
He said when two officers went to his house its only when they found out that the suitcase was broken into two and inside there were two boxes with 20,000 Euros each missing.
“So, I had to say oops that’s a different case now that’s must be a criminal case, I followed up to the police again and it became a crime case,’’ he said.
He said police said they would do all they could do to ensure he gets justice but to date the lady is still on the run.
Kreplin suspect that his fiancée must have conspired with some of her friends he hung out with to steal the money and could be the ones now threatening him.
“I am very concerned police promised to take action about it but so far there is no progress despite promise that they would track her Safaricom line, “he said.
He said the German embassy advised him to file a case against her but find it could take long and wants the government to offer him protection.
