In anticipation of additional investigations, police said on Monday that they would hold Pascaline Peter, the woman they detained last week for allegedly scamming Kenyans out of Ksh. 350 million in a real estate investment scam, for a another 30 days.
Ms. Peter, also known by the identity Passy Ma Trevor, was taken into custody on Thursday in Kantafu, Machakos County. She faces charges of operating a multi-million-shilling shylock and engaging in real estate fraud.
The 36-year-old is being held by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi’s Kasarani Sub-County headquarters after a 30-day custody order was given by the Makadara Law Courts.
“The artifice affecting over 300 Kenyans who lost millions of shillings has seen the detectives record statements from over sixty victims with the number expected to quadruple over the course of time,” DCI said in an X post.
“The detectives will be seeking to among others gather more evidence on the fraud to ensure that a watertight case is presented before court to ensure justice is served to all.”
According to the police, the self-proclaimed businesswoman ran an illicit money-lending organization and managed and rented out people’s funds.
According to reports, Ms. Peter operated an investment scam in which she solicited funds from clients and assured them of a thirty percent return on their investments; however, “she switched off her mobile phone and went into hiding once payments were made.”
The majority of her victims, according to the police, are from the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, and Kiambu.
