A man believed to be the mastermind behind the Sh 2.8 billion gold scam has been charged.
Kelvin Mwaura Ngotho is accused of conspiring to commit a felony namely stealing USD 19,000,000 (approx Sh 2.85 billion) from Halid Bin Mohd Yaacob by falsely pretending that you were in a position to sell to him 500 KGS of gold, a fact he knew to be false.
Ngotho is alleged to have committed the offense on diverse dates between 19th October 2023 and 27th December 2023 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya jointly with others not before court.
The accused is also charged with attempt to commit a felony namely stealing the Sh 2.85 billion from Yacoob on 27th December 2023 at Kileleshwa area in Nairobi jointly with others already before court.
He denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki and was released on a cash bail of Sh 1 million.
According to the police, Mwaura was the tenant of the house in leafy suburbs of Lavington from which a gang of scammers operated.
Investigations revealed that he had entered into a tenancy agreement with the landlord to use the property as a residential house.
On the day the fake gold deal was to be sealed, DCI officers stormed the house where Mwaura’s seven accomplices were rounded up but he managed to escape.
