Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi to be Charged over KSh17.5 Million Extortion Scheme

Controversial Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi is on Friday set to be arraigned in court to face charges of extortion, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Wednesday.

Nyakundi was arrested in Nairobi on Monday together with his coconspirator Emmanuel Nyamweya on allegations of extortion, blackmail, and false accusations. 

The two are said to have demanded KSh17.5 million from Victoria Commercial Bank (VCB) in order to pull down libelous stories they had published on their website and had already received a down payment of KSh1 million by the time they were arrested. 

DCI said KSh1 million exhibit money was recovered from the suspects. It added that the two will be charged with extortion contrary to section 300 (1) of the Penal Code.

In a statement published in local newspapers, Victoria Commercial Bank announced it has hired the services of Schillings, a London-based law firm, to represent it in the case against Nyakundi.

"We chose not to pay money to have the blogs removed but, instead, took the necessary legal steps to defend the bank's reputation through our counsel, Schillings, a highly reputable British law firm," VCB said in the statement signed by CEO Yogesh Pattni.

Schillings, which is renowned for reputation management and defamation issues, is currently representing Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in their defamation case against British tabloid newspaper Mail on Sunday after it published a private letter she (Meghan) wrote to her father last year.