Fake gold suspects deny charges

Thomas Otieo Ngoe and Nicholas Otienk Ndolo in court on April 13,  2023 when they took plea in the Sh133 million gold deal case.

Photo credit: Richard Munguti | Nation Media Group

Five suspects, among them a lawyer, were on Thursday charged with defrauding an American Sh133 million (1 Million USD) in a fake gold deal. 

The suspects were accused of pocketing over Sh230 million from their victims in the United States of America (USA) and South Korea.
The suspects include: lawyer Thomas Otieno Ngoe, Nicholas Otieno Ndolo, politician Steve Okute and Bruno Otieno Orienda.

Others arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts are a Liberian national Joseph Bedell and two Congolese nationals Mathews Bayindu Patsum and Mercelin Wa Nyanguangu Bruce.

Bedell, Patsum and Bruce are accused of defrauding their victims Sh84 million. They were remanded until their bail application is determined.

Ngoe and Ndolo have denied defrauding Seth Adams Bernistein USD1million Sh133m claiming they will ship to him 3,000 kilograms of gold from Kenya to Dubai. 

Okute and Bruno are charged with defrauding an American National Marjorie Grant Sh12.7 million claiming they were in a position to sell 33 kilograms of gold.

Bedell denied defrauding Shanmugam Sundar Darmaraju 408,229 USD pretending a shipment of 6.483 kilograms of gold was being detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Aiport (JKIA).

While Patsum and Bruce denied defrauding Tophead Vision Company Limited registered in Seoul, Korea, 214,500 USD alleging they were in a position to ship 175 kilograms of gold to the company.

They are accused of pretending they would ship the gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Mathew and Mercelin also face another charge of being in possession of 13 rolls of bhang valued at Sh600.

Prosecution said the illicit drug was recovered from them at Adams Arcade in Nairobi. Their case continues on Friday.