Caught on film: The Rogue Tracker-Is your car safe with this man?
Track It Reaction
Caught on film: Is your car safe with this man?
Wednesday, 15th April 2009
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Track IT Managing Director Shehzad Tejani addresses journalists at his offices in Westlands, Nairobi. He denied bribing KTN reporters
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Motorists flocked a Nairobi security firm to confirm if their vehicles had been fitted with security devices following a special KTN exposÈ.
In the dramatic investigative story aired for the first time on Monday, the firm — Track It — was reported to have been duping clients by pretending their vehicles had been installed with devices that could allow their tracking in case of theft.
In the captivating three part series exclusively reported by Kenya’s premier television station, the firm’s Managing Director Shehzad Tejani was filmed paying investigative reporters John Allan-Namu and Mohamed Ali Sh1 million in US dollars to stop them from airing the report.
But the reporters went ahead to air the scam, which has shocked many motorists.
In the investigation, experts for KTN found that several vehicles supposedly fitted with the tracking devices had none at all, although their owners had paid hefty fees.
The security gadgets are usually hidden within the car, and it is only the workers who install it know where they are fitted.
Claims of bribery
Confronted by these facts, Track It’s Tejani offered Sh1.5 million to the two reporters to buy their silence.
The money was to be paid in instalments, the first two coming last Monday. The first payment for $10,000 (Sh800,000) was offered at Oilibya in Westlands. The next instalment of $2,500 (Sh200,000) was made at a cafe at Nakumatt Lifestyle in the city centre. The last payment for Sh500,000 was to be made later.
However yesterday, a bewildered Tejani denied the two claims of bribery, although this was captured on film. Neither could he explain why he was meeting reporters in city restaurants after offering his story.
KTN viewers and readers were outraged this could have happened, and praised the station for its exposÈ.
The reports showed that some of the vehicles could be without the tracking gadgets even after the owners paid for the same. Motorists flocked the firm’s premises yesterday, to make ensure they had not been duped.
The series, which concludes tonight on KTN, further traces car rackets beyond borders and exposes police complicity. The reporters recognised the risk they had exposed themselves to, but public interest, they said, went beyond concerns for their safety.
Last night, Track It management denied duping motorists and denied offering Sh1.5 million bribe to KTN reporters, although Sh1m had been paid.
A visibly angry Tejani denied bribing the two KTN reporters, saying the envelope only contained documents the two had asked for.
“This is just an attempt to defraud me and bring down my company,” he said, adding: “What was shown in the television station were cut- and-paste of events trying to prove I indeed tried to bribe them.”
Rampant carjacking
He claimed he had recorded statements with the police to prove the two journalists were out to fleece him.
A relatively new industry, the stolen vehicle recovery business began thriving in the late 1990s at the height of rampant carjacking.
To date, there are over 48 companies in the business, majority of them dealing in fleet management devices but passing them as vehicle-tracking devices to unsuspecting insurance firms and lenders offering car loans.
Efforts to obtain comments from Kenya Security Industry Association (Kisa) were fruitless as we went to press.
Although there are over 48 firms in the stolen vehicle recovery business, only 26 firms are registered with Kisa.
The main types of tracking devices are those on the GSM/GPRS and the satellite-based systems.
Majority of fleet management solutions being sold as security tracking devices are mostly Internet-based and depends on the services of the local mobile telephone service providers such as Safaricom and Zain.
The ideal security tracking devices are satellite-based. Unlike fleet management devices, which usually have masts installed on the dashboards or surfaces on the car’s body with access to the sky, genuine security tracking devices are usually hidden.
Carjackers are notorious for driving stolen vehicles with GPS systems to depressions around Highrise Estate in Nairobi and other areas where connectivity is a problem, says a source in the stolen vehicle recovery business.
Source-The Standard
About The Book
During a 40 days prayer and fasting, God spoke to Rev. Mbijiwe Mwenda on May 27th 2007 at 4 am and instructed him to tell America “Thou Shalt Fear No Evil.” Following this divine instruction he wrote the book AMERICA, FEAR NO EVIL (this world is counting on you).
The book has been published by Xulon Press and its contents are:
Author Profile
Rev. Mbijiwe Mwenda, a former Kenya Air Force officer, is the Founder and President of Resurrection Glory Ministries International (RGMI) and the Senior Pastor of the Glory Cathedral Church (GCC) based in Nairobi, Kenya. Known best internationally for his life–changing writings, he has authored several books including: Understanding Dreams and Visions; Identifying and Breaking Ungodly Family Altars; Identifying and Breaking Sexual Altars; Breaking the Curse of Poverty; God’s Supernatural Power to Make Wealth and Seated With Christ in the Heavenly Places to Rule. He also writes for several Christian Magazines in Kenya including the authoritative Revival Springs magazine. He is married to Annie Zoe, and both live in Nairobi–Kenya, happily serving the Lord.
America fear no evil-The world is counting on you