Lawyer Thomas Otieno Ngoe and gold dealer Nicolas Otieno Ndolo are in court, accused of defrauding an American businessman of Sh130 million in a fraudulent gold deal.
Lawyer Thomas Otieno Ngoe and businessman Nicholas Otieno Ndolo appeared before Kibera senior principal Magistrate Charles Mwaniki where the prosecution sought more days to detain them.
The police through Inspector Alexander Makomah were asked for 14 days to detain them as they completed their investigations. According to an affidavit signed by the investigating officer, the two were to sell gold valued at Sh16 billion to the American businessman.
“That after formal introductions, they agreed that the complainant would purchase 3,000kg of gold at $41,000 per kg totaling to $123,000,000,” read part of the affidavit. This is the latest such gold scam to happen in a series in the country that has seen unsuspecting businessmen lose millions to the scammers.
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It comes amid pleas from police to foreigners seeking to purchase gold from the country to get advice from their embassies and government offices. The duo were released on Sh500,000 cash bail after the court ruled that the prosecution ground to hold them was not sufficient
“The prosecution did not tell the court that the respondents were flight risks, the basis of the application was based on the authenticity of the firearm license since the amount involved is huge, they are therefore released on Sh500,000 cash bail each and they will report to the investigating officer at the DCI Nairobi area specifically on April 3,” said Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Mwaniki.
The defense lawyers had told the court that their clients were not flight risks and urged that they be released on bond.
