Ten suspects in Sh67.3million fake gold scam detained overnight, court to rule bail terms tomorrow

The ten arrested over the weekend in connection with Sh67.3million fake gold scamming business among them two politicians, a Greek national and a police officer will spend another night in police cells pending court ruling whether they will be detained for ten days for police to conclude investigations.

The prosecution filed an application before Principal Chief Magistrate Robinson Ondieki to detain the ten pending completion of the probe.

They were charged today before the Milimani Law Courts.

The court heard that two of the suspects; Elisha Mbadi Kimbero and Teddy Samora Kowino were found with mobile phones and are suspected to be recipients of monies paid by the complainants allegedly to be delivered to Waithaka.

Bruno Otieno Oliende who is a politician is alleged to have lured the complainant Marjorie Grant to his fellow politician Okute to assist in the shipment of 33kgs of gold allegedly held at Nairobi customs offices from Burkina Faso.

The police officer on his part is said to have presented himself in the Operations Support Unit office at Nairobi Area to seek the release of Waithaka and upon searching him, he was found with two notes of USD in the denomination of 100 suspected to be fake and kept as exhibit.

Their lawyers opposed the application for custodial orders saying there were no compelling reasons given to warrant the said order.

The Magistrate will rule tomorrow whether to detain them.

The ten suspects who were arrested on Friday in their Kitusuru and Kilimani hideouts by detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are profiled as key masterminds of fake gold syndicate targeting unsuspecting local and foreign investors.

They are said to have been posing as businessmen dealing in gold.

The ten are; Samuel Wathika Gathuru, Moses Otieno Oketch, Patroba Odhiambo Tobias, Elisha Mbadi Kimbero,Teddy Samora Kowino, Ioaeoannis Kaisarios, Mugabe Patrick Biriko, Seth Steve Okute, Bruno Otieno Oliende and Collins Kiprotich Langat.

They are suspected to have defrauded $534,000 USD (Sh67.3 million) from two American citizens; Ismail Kolawole Adesina and Marjorie R. Grant in a Gold scam.

They were arraigned before Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Kebabe Ondieki where DCI Investigating officer Gerald Kamwaro sought an order to detain them for 10 days at Kamukunji Police Station to complete investigations.

“Upon the 1st respondent’s (Samuel Wathika) arrest on 3rd February, 2023, he was found in company of 2nd-9th respondents in his office and upon search, several exhibits were recovered to wit suspected minerals courted in goldish and silver colours, a partly used KCB cheque book in Bravie Group Company name brief case analyzer tools, cash counting machine and a rubber stamp,” the Investigating officer told the court yesterday.

According to police eight of the suspects were arrested in unmarked offices along Maalim Juma Road within the Kilimani area.

Following the raid, Samuel Waithaka was found in possession of a Sigsauer P229 Pistol while his accomplice Steve Okute was found in possession of a Baretta pistol loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

“The sixth respondent (Ioaeoannis Kaisarios) alleges to be a Greek national and his presence in the country is very suspicious especially being found in an office where the complainants had been defrauded.” The investigating officer told the court.