Gold Scam Suspect Conrad Maloba Under Fresh Probe Over International Fraud Claims

City lawyer Conrad Maloba has found himself at the centre of widening investigations after detectives linked his law firm’s account to two separate international fraud complaints involving millions of shillings.

The investigations, being handled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, have already seen the lawyer spend a night in custody before he was later released on police bond. However, authorities say he remains under active investigation in connection with both an alleged fake ambulance tender and a separate gold scam involving foreign investors.

Detectives are now seeking more time to analyse financial transactions connected to accounts operated under Conrad Law Advocates, as investigators attempt to establish how large sums of money passed through the firm.

What initially appeared to be a single fraud complaint has now expanded into what authorities suspect could be a broader syndicate targeting foreign businessmen through carefully staged deals designed to look official.

According to investigators, the first case involved a Swedish investor who was allegedly lured into a fake government procurement deal earlier this year. The businessman is said to have been approached through WhatsApp by individuals claiming they could facilitate access to lucrative state tenders in Kenya.

The proposal revolved around the supply of 500 Toyota Hiace ambulances in a deal reportedly valued at more than 36 million US dollars.

Sources familiar with the investigations say the operation was highly organised. The investor was reportedly flown into Nairobi, received at the airport, accommodated in an upscale hotel, and later escorted to Harambee House, where individuals posing as senior government officials allegedly walked him through documents and meetings meant to convince him the tender was genuine.

Investigators say the suspects demanded payments disguised as standard procurement requirements, including a performance security fee and insurance costs.

The businessman is reported to have first transferred 110,000 US dollars as a prequalification payment. The money was allegedly wired into an account belonging to Conrad Law Advocates at Ecobank.

Days later, another transfer of 360,750 US dollars followed, allegedly for insurance purposes, pushing the total amount sent to 470,750 US dollars.

Authorities believe the syndicate later attempted to pressure the investor into making additional payments exceeding one million dollars before suspicions emerged.

The scheme reportedly began falling apart after the investor returned to Kenya and alerted authorities. On March 10, detectives carried out arrests during a meeting at Harambee House, though investigators say the funds had already been received through the law firm’s account by that time.

The account has since become a major focus of the investigation.

Investigators say the use of a lawyer’s client account may have helped create the appearance of legitimacy, particularly when dealing with foreign investors unfamiliar with local systems. Under Kenyan financial regulations, advocates handling client funds are expected to carry out due diligence and flag suspicious transactions where necessary.

Detectives are now examining whether the account merely acted as a temporary holding point for the money before onwards transfers were made to other beneficiaries.

Sources close to the probe claim investigators noticed movements within the account that raised concerns about possible attempts to redistribute or conceal the funds shortly after deposits were made.

Authorities also say Maloba became difficult to trace at one stage of the investigations before his eventual arrest.

Even as detectives pursued the ambulance fraud case, another complaint surfaced involving an Australian businessman who allegedly lost 600,000 US dollars in what investigators describe as a fake gold transaction.

According to investigators, the structure of the deal closely mirrored the ambulance scheme.

The investor was reportedly approached abroad, introduced to intermediaries, and taken through meetings in both Tanzania and Kenya where he was allegedly convinced he was participating in a legitimate gold export arrangement.

Detectives say the businessman was shown documents, attended meetings, and later instructed to transfer funds through the same law firm account linked to Conrad Law Advocates.

The money was reportedly sent, but the promised gold shipment never arrived.

Investigators now say they are handling two separate international fraud complaints involving victims from different countries, both linked to the same legal account within a relatively short period.

The combined losses reported in the two cases exceed one million US dollars.

Authorities are now trying to determine whether the transactions point to negligence, manipulation by third parties, or deliberate participation in the alleged fraud network.

The investigations have also revived scrutiny over earlier financial disputes associated with the same law firm, including court battles involving frozen accounts and contested legal fees.

For detectives, the emerging pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. Foreign investors were allegedly processed through what appeared to be legitimate systems. Meetings reportedly took place inside government premises. Millions of shillings moved through a professional legal account without immediate detection.

Now, investigators believe the case goes beyond ordinary fraud.

The focus has shifted to whether institutional trust, professional privilege, and established financial channels may have been exploited to convince international investors they were dealing with genuine state-backed transactions.

As the probe continues, detectives are tracing the movement of funds, identifying possible beneficiaries, and examining whether more individuals within legal, financial, or administrative circles could have played a role in the schemes.

For now, Conrad Maloba remains free on police bond, but investigators insist the enquiries into both the ambulance tender fraud and the alleged gold scam are far from over.