A Nairobi court has issued orders to have four suspects in Sh 24 million gold fraud detained for four days to allow police to conclude investigations.
The DCI had produced the four in court under a miscellaneous application where they were seeking 14 days to conclude investigations.
However, Chief Magistrate Lukas Onyina decline to grant the 14 days on grounds that no sufficient grounds had been adduced by the state to warrant the same.
The respondents, Felix Odiambo Otieno, Derrick Odhiambo Omore, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed and Moses Odhiambo Auma were arrested after the complainant made a report to the DCI on 5th May 2025.
According to an affidavit by Corporal Miruka Onyango, the complainant, Majid Harib Al-alawi claimed he had entered into agreement with one Washington Ochieng Angudha, a representative of Haq Enterprises Limited to sell to his company Voltex Commercial Trading Limited gold and signed an agreement on 22nd April 2025.
The court heard that the buyer, Voltex Commercial Trading Ltd intended to buy 150kgs and the parties mutually agreed that the buying price is USD 63,000 per Kg.
“As per the agreement, a deposit of USD 200,000 was made to cover preliminary export related costs including retaining and storage,” Corporal Miruka said
It is alleged that Mohamed Ibrahim was contracted to conduct the melting and testing of the gold bars as a consignment of 3.5kg was delivered as a collateral at apartment 685, Glory Valley in Runda, Nairobi.
Court heard that the consignment was stored at Mysafe and the complainant was issued with key to the safe after paying storage charges.
However, the buyer later went to Mysafe to check his consignment he, noted some differences and started doubting the package.
“He notified the authorities and planned for an operation where he made another order for gold bars of 650kgs in quantity so as to lure the suspects.
Corporal Miruka told the court that through intelligence led operation, the four were arrested in apartment 685 Glory Valley, Runda, where they had set up another gold sale for the buyer.
The suspects were allegedly found in possession of 25 suspected to be fake gold bars weighing approximately 9.5kg, a weighing machine, a black plastic briefcase serial number 203879 containing an electric gold tester machine (tester gun), assorted ministry of mining/department geology documents, red file containing customs department documents among others.
The court heard that the investigators need time to extract data from the mobile phones of the respondents and subject them to forensic analysis
They also need time to obtain reports from the Ministry of mining, BRS and KRA among others.
