The trial of a Congolese national and a city trader facing charges of stealing a gold consignment worth over Sh56 million from a Russian has been adjourned.
The matter failed proceed yet again and was pushed to next year before trial Magistrate Wendy Kagendo.
The case has been dragging in court since they were charged three years ago.
Ishikunga Andre Kongolo alias Joseph and Gedion Zeddie Otieno are accused of stealing 200 kilograms of gold valued at Sh 56 million from Ibragim Kostoeb Kostoev.
They have since denied the charge and are out after posting cash bail of Sh1 million each and the Congolese directed to have a Kenyan contact person.
It is alleged that the two committed the offence on December 21, 2018 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Swiss Port office No. 223 in Nairobi, jointly with others not before court.
Kostoev allegedly travelled to Uganda in December last year and met a Congolese by the name Rajabu Pulush in Ugendo, Kampala. Pulush allegedly said he would sell to them 50 kilograms of gold at 28,000 US dollars.
In the trade, they also met one Abdalla Mugambo, a Ugandan national.
They were allegedly asked to pay 100,000 US dollars which was meant for shipping and taxes.
JARED KIASA OTIENO STORY
Jared, who was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts, was charged with obtaining money by false pretences and will be detained at Kileleshwa police station.
According to Jared’s lawyer,, Stanley Kangai, the matter in court involves a loan between the complainant and other people arguing that his client was nothing but a sacrificial lamb.
Otieno has been in and out of court over fraud cases alleged to involve hundreds of millions of shillings.
Previously, a Venezuelan man accused him of defrauding him of Ksh.300 million in a fake land deal.
In a response to a false article reporting the withdrawal of the case, the DPP stated that the case is still on course.
“Contrary to an article appearing on @PeopleDailyKe of 26/4/2021, the Ksh 23 million fake gold case against Jared Otieno and 4 others is still ongoing and the DPP Noordin Haji has no intention of withdrawing it.”
Fake Gold Deals
Mr Otieno is at the centre of a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probe into a racket that conned a Dubai royal of Sh300 million while claiming to be able to sell him gold worth the millions.
He was charged with obtaining the Sh300 million from Sounthorn Chanthavong, a director of Simoung Group Company, claiming that he would sell him gold.
How gold scamming millionaires seal their dirty deals
Gold scamming is one of the fraud techniques where victims loose millions of money to fraudsters, gold scammers work in a manner where gold scammers identify their potential victims abroad, then they organize for travels to their country and they will be booked to five stars hotels and they will riding in luxury vehicles.
To win the trust of their victims, fraudsters take them to smelting house where they will be shown real gold which will also be tested in their presence. After testing they are packaged and this is were the game starts, fraudsters demand for money to pay freight fee and tax which is deposited in escrow accounts to avoid being nabbed, they continue to give more excuses where they also demand for more money from their victims who will be in their countries waiting for consignments. Gold painted metals are always delivered to them.
Fake gold and sledge hammers recovered by DCI when they raided Jared otieno kileleshwa residence
Some gold fraud cases which hit the headlines include one involving Jared Otieno, where the director of Samuong limited, Southorn Chanthavong was tricked into a house in Kaputei gardens in kileleshwa and showed metal boxes containing was purported to be gold but when DCI raided the premise, the boxes contained cement, gold painted metals and sledge hummers. After Southorn Chanthavong was showed the ”gold” he paid a total of over 300 million to Jared otieno company.
suspected gold scammer Jared Otieno (photo courtesy}
What prompted the DCI to smoke out the syndicate was when UAE sheikh was allegedly conned 400 million where several politicians were linked, a phone conversation was leaked where Moses wetangula was talking to an angry agent of the sheikh who was agitated by the delay in delivering gold phone conversation (https://youtu.be/FSWAu86078E). Kisii flamboyant politician was also mentioned adversely but no action was taken against him.
Zaheer Jhanda , businessman linked to 400 million fraud. (photo courtesy)
According to the police, the Mr Otieno often told the complainants that monies they sent him was used to pay government taxes and exportation expenses.
Otieno has been charged alongside 15 other suspects who were arrested with fake gold.
It is quite curious how DCI often arrests gold scammers but never show their faces.
Our sources confirm that Jared Otieno was arrested , but later released after doing what he normally does best; bribe all the levels of security forces.
In a high magnitude dossier that has been seen by this blogger, the corruption in the gold scam, collusion with security agencies and the frustration of court cases is laid bare.
With so much money, Jared Otieno who had in recent times stepped away from the day to day running of the gold scam business.
His gold scam business is currently run by his brother-in-law Bruno Oliende.
“He (Jared Otieno) no longer does the business and he has his boys”, said our source.
Jared Otieno was arrested in a case which Directorate of Criminal Investigations had insisted to be linked to the transaction where the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Al Makhtoum, was conned more than Ksh400 million by some Kenyans, including Senator Moses Wetangula.
Jared Otieno was arrested after he presented himself to the police which was being reported in the media to be looking for him but never contacted him. He was detained and is scheduled to take plea on Tuesday 21 May after police postponed his previously scheduled plea date.
Fake gold suspect Jared Otieno and his co-accused in a Sh23 million scam have been directed to appear personally in court on Tuesday over an application by the prosecution to withdraw the case.
Milimani chief magistrate Francis Andayi directed Otieno and four others to appear without fail after Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji said he intends to withdraw the case.
Haji through Prosecutor Angela Fuchaka told the court that he intends to withdraw the case because he cannot reach the complainant Samir Entoro, who flew to Brazil for specialized treatment early last year.
“I have instruction from my boss Haji to withdraw this case under section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedural Code as the communication between the investigating officer, the office of the DPP and the complainant’s lawyer George Wajakhoya is futile,” said Fuchaka.
Otieno has been charged together with lawyer Munzala Javier Runili, Philip Nashon Aroko, Roy Shirekuli and Ismail Shikanda Aballah.
The matter has been delayed for the last one year because Entoro has been unwell. The court had been informed that doctors in Brazil advised the complainant not to travel because of his heart condition.
The move to withdraw the case under section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) means that the accused can be re-arrested and charged afresh once the complainant turns up.
The accused persons were charged with defrauding Entoro, the Brazilian national of $23,200 (Sh23,200,000) in a gold deal.
It is alleged that they obtained the money from Entoro pretending they would ship to him eight kilograms of gold from Nairobi to Dubai.
