Detectives foil Sh723 million gold scam, arrest two
According to the DCI, the suspects, Michael Otieno Onyango and Andrew Clifford Otieno, were exposed when the businesswoman demanded verification of the gold’s legitimacy from the Ministry of Mining.
Detectives are holding two men accused of defrauding an American businesswoman of nearly a billion shillings under the pretence of securing 70 kilograms of pure gold.
According to the DCI, the suspects, Michael Otieno Onyango and Andrew Clifford Otieno, were exposed when the businesswoman demanded verification of the gold’s legitimacy from the Ministry of Mining.
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"She insisted that any gold transaction must be verified through testing conducted by the Ministry," DCI said on Wednesday.
Although the suspects initially agreed to her request, their scheme began to unravel when they failed to appear for a scheduled gold test.
"The businesswoman decided to play along with the scammers. A second meeting was arranged, and this time, she was picked up from Yaya Centre by a supposed associate, who lured her under the pretence of grabbing a cup of coffee," detectives said.
"Instead, she was driven to Rose Villa Estate, where the elusive suspects awaited. As negotiations began, the scammers attempted to persuade her to finalise the phoney deal, but their efforts fell on deaf ears."
According to detectives, the suspects grew suspicious that something was amiss and fled the scene in a blue Mazda CX-Z with registration number KDP 336R.
They were intercepted by detectives tracking them and escorted back to House 27 at Rose Villa Estate, where a search was conducted.
During the search, detectives uncovered two smelting machines and nineteen smelting moulds, exposing the full extent of their fraudulent operation.
Both suspects have been taken into custody and are being processed ahead of their arraignment in court.
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