Nairobi businessman charged in Sh22m gold scam
A businessman has been charged with obtaining over Sh22 million from two international traders pretending he would supply them with 50 kilograms of gold.
Jared Otieno, who appeared before Milimani senior principal magistrate Martha Mutuku, was charged with obtaining $169,000 (Sh17,407,000) from Mustaq Hefeji Dawood and 40,500 euros (Sh4,657,500) from Mohammed Imad Mokdad by pretending that he was in a position to sell them gold.
The prosecution informed the magistrate that the accused has other aliases — Jared Kiasa Otieno, Jared Smith Otieno, Richard Otieno and Jared Smith Mackenzie Otieno.
The charge sheet states that he obtained the money from Mr Dawood on diverse dates between October 4, 2015 and October 31, 2016 in Nairobi County.
He allegedly pretended that he was in a position to ship 50 kilograms of gold from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi, to Kuwait International Airport.
Mr Otieno is also alleged to have obtained money from Mr Mokdad between June 2 and June 13 this year by pretending that he would ship 50 kilograms of gold from JKIA to Beirut in Lebanon.
The accused was released on a bond of Sh3 million with a surety of the same amount and alternative cash bail of Sh500,000.