NAIROBI Kenya February 28 -The main suspect in a Sh2.85 billion gold scam investigation involving two Malaysian nationals, Kelvin Mwaura Ngotho, was on Wednesday arrested and arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts Nairobi.
Ngotho was arrested by detectives from the DCI’s Operations Support Unit (OSU) at the court premises when he appeared for the hearing of yet another gold scam case in which he is out on bond.
Detectives have been pursuing Mwaura since December 27, 2023, being the mastermind of the near-success USD19,000,000 gold scam deal orchestrated by a 8-member gang.
In the investigations, it was established that Mwaura was the tenant of the Lavington-based premises in which the gang operated from, having entered a tenancy agreement with the landlord to use the property as a residential house.
On the day when the deal involving 50kg in fake gold was to be sealed, detectives stormed the house where Mwaura’s seven accomplices were rounded up but he managed to escape. They have since been arraigned.
Mwaura had earlier appeared before court where he had been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and attempt to commit a felony.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges and was admitted to a bond of Sh3 million or alternative cash bail of Sh1 million. The matter will be mentioned on March 13, 2024 before the same court.
On December 27, 2023, OSU detectives arrested several suspects involved in a mega gold scam that targeted the two Malaysian nationals, and recovered multiple tools of trade involved in the Sh2.85 billion botched scam.
“Having received intelligence report through Kilimani Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer on the scamming deal planned against the two foreign men, the OSU deployed a surveillance team after the two victims jetted in the country,” the DCI said.
The scammers using Rock Africa Minier company had contacted the complainants as from October 19, 2023 through a social media platform.
“The suspects had alleged to transact with them 500kg of gold at USD 19 million equivalent to Sh2.85 billion. In the deal, the complainants had already sent USD 6,350 to members of the gang based in Cameroon who referred the two to their Kenyan accomplices,” the DCI said.
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The scammers were trailed as they picked the two foreigners from their hotel Four Points By Sheraton along Argwings Kodhek road in Kilimani.
They were taken to an office in a private house along Mageta Road within Kileleshwa where the surveillance team followed closely and later arrested seven suspects.
In another case on Monday February 26, another fraudster Kelvin Otieno Onyango was arraigned following his arrest at his office in Kilimani area at China WU-YI Plaza.
Acting on intelligence, OSU detectives raided his office along Galana Road and upon search recovered assorted company documents, stamps, seals and forged mining licenses purported to have been issued by the Ministry of Mining.
The suspect was charged with 10 counts of making a document without authority and Forgery. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and was granted Sh300,000 bond or a cash bail of Sh200,000.
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