Two businessmen have been charged with obtaining Sh 12.7 million as custom duty for non-existent gold.
Seth Steve Okute and Bruno Otieno Olienda are accused of obtaining from Marjorie R. Grant USD 100,000 (equivalent to Sh 12.7 million) by falsely pretending that Newsky’s Global Cargo Movers International Limited were in a position to pay custom duty for 33 kilograms of gold shipped from Burkina Faso to Zurich, a fact they knew to be false.
The two are alleged to have committed the offence on 9th November 2022 at I&M Bank within Nairobi County with intent to defraud.
Okute and Olienda are also charged with conspiracy to obtain Sh 12.7 million from Grant by falsely pretending they were in position to pay custom duties for the 33 kilograms of gold shipped from Burkina Faso to Zurich.
The duo denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu.
They were granted a bond of Sh 2 million each with alternative cash bail of Sh 600,000 each. Upon payment of the cash bail, each will provide two contact persons as ordered by the court.
Olienda made an application for the police to release his three mobile phones and Mercedes Benz on grounds that they are not part of the case.
The investigating officer was summoned to appear in court and respond to the application.
