Being born with the intelligence of a genius and the acting skills of an Oscar-winning star sounds like a winning package, but in reality, this is more of a blessing laced with a curse.
Just like in the 2002 filmCatch Me If You Can, some talented conmen may just opt for a shortcut, whenever possible, in order to achieve greatness.
This is what happened with a lawyer named Brian Mwenda, who has won all 26 cases he has ever handled, before being arrested for faking his legal practice.
Indeed, theBBC reported this weekendthat a man in Kenya had been arrested after being accused of practicing law without the proper qualifications.
Recently, a man in Kenya was accused of faking being a lawyer
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Last week, Kenyan legal officials had reportedly urged the police to arrest the man practicing under the name “Brian Mwenda”, an identity stolen from a real lawyer, named Brian Mwenda Ntwiga.
Local media had reported that the “fake lawyer” had won dozens of lawsuits despite not being professionally trained as a solicitor.
He took the name “Brian Mwenda”, from a real lawyer, and despite his lack of training, won 26 lawsuits
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Brian handled 26 cases before High Court Judges, Magistrates, and Court of Appeal Judges before his arrest, all of which he won, theNigerian Tribunereported.
The alleged con artist had accessed The Law Society of Kenya portal, identified the account of the man with a name corresponding to his, and tampered with the details,Ghana Webreported.
Moreover, the alleged imposter has also said that he was innocent, and has subsequently thanked people who have come out in support of him.
As a result, the alleged con artist was arrested last week
The popular swindler has even received accolades from Kenya’s Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) reportedly referring to him as a “brilliant young mind” who has succeeded “without traditional qualifications”.
Mikeposted a video onX, backing the “fake lawyer” as he stood next to the now infamous man of the hour.
The man who appeared to be Brian (the fake one) said: “I would like to convey my gratitude to the people who are supporting me and praying for me… in the fullness of time I will be able to clear this misunderstanding.
“I will also be able to provide my innocence and provide the actual context.”
The alleged con artist went on to reveal that he would go to a police station and provide officers with a statement “hopefully” this week.
But the controversial video has not impressed Kenya’s director of public prosecutions, who in turn said that “Mr. Mwenda” still currently faces prosecution.
In a statement on Saturday (October 14), Renson Mulele Ingonga wrote: “I have directed the Inspector General of the National Police Service to undertake expedited comprehensive investigations.”
Brian said that he would “be able to provide his innocence” while thanking his supporters
Image credits:Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)
The prosecutor admitted that Brian’s case had been seen before in the country, as he said he had noticed “increased cases of unqualified persons… pretending to be Advocates of the High Court of Kenya”.
Scammershave been the subject of plenty of fascinating documentaries, with some going as far as to trick people into giving them millions of dollars.
One of the most famous con artists has recently revived her name, as a result of the Netflix series Inventing Anna.
The popular show was based on Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German con artist who pretended to be a wealthy German heiress under the name Anna Delvey.
Kenya’s director of public prosecutions said that “Mr. Mwenda” still currently faces prosecution
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Anna successfully infiltrated the privileged life of New York’s high society, defrauding and deceiving major financial institutions, banks, hotels, and individuals for a total of $275,000.
Another swindler prompted the creation of the popular black comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, featuringJim Carrey, where he played the protagonist Steven Jay Russell.
Steven was a Georgia police officer who impersonated several individuals to escape from a Texas prison.
He infamously embezzled from the North American Medical Management Corporation.
People’s opinions on Brian were divided, as most thought he should be sent to law school
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