Lawyer, associate in court over Sh35 million fake gold scam
The two were set to be arraigned in court on Thursday but only Tobias appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina at the Milimani Law Courts.
A Nairobi-based lawyer and his associate are facing fraud-related charges after allegedly swindling two people out of KSh35 million in a fake gold transaction.
Advocate Alphonce Collins Odovo Sewe and his co-accused, Patroba Odhiambo Tobias, also known as "Ishmael", are accused of falsely claiming they could supply 400 kilograms of gold bars to unsuspecting buyers.
More To Read
- Detectives foil Sh723 million gold scam, arrest two
- Four miners die as West Pokot gold shaft caves in
- Nairobi lawyer arrested over Sh79.9 million gold scam targeting Canadian investor
- Cameroonian arrested over Sh80 million gold scam targeting Canadian investor
- Five suspects arrested over Sh15.5 million gold scam targeting Romanian, Swiss businessmen
- Kenyan man arrested for defrauding foreigner in Sh33 million fake gold scheme
The two were set to be arraigned in court on Thursday, but only Tobias appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina at the Milimani Law Courts.
Sewe's lawyer informed the court that the advocate could not attend the session as he had been admitted to Aga Khan Hospital, prompting the court to defer his plea.
During the proceedings, Tobias denied the fraud charges. The prosecution, however, urged the court to postpone his bail hearing, stating that they required additional time to file a formal affidavit opposing his release.
Prosecutors argued that the case involved significant financial loss and transnational elements, warranting strict bail consideration.
Magistrate Onyina allowed the prosecution's request and directed that the affidavit be filed for the court to determine whether Tobias will be granted bail. In the meantime, he ordered that the accused be detained at the Capitol Hill Police Station.
According to the charge sheet, the two are alleged to have obtained Sh35 million from the complainants by pretending they were in a position to sell genuine gold, knowing the claim to be false.
Investigators say the alleged scam is part of a wider gold fraud network targeting both local and foreign investors.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been pursuing similar cases amid rising reports of fake gold deals in the city.
The matter will be mentioned for further directions, including the bail ruling and the status of Sewe's hospital admission.
Top Stories Today
