A Cameroonian who allegedly defrauded a businessman of Sh8,255,200 in a fake gold deal has been charged with obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
Mr Ranji Taku is accused of obtaining the money from Mustafa Anwer at different places on different dates between March 9 and May 27, 2023, while falsely pretending to be able to sell him two kilos of gold, knowing that this was false.
Mr Taku is also charged with conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to Section 393 of the Penal Code, where he is accused of conspiring with others at large to defraud Mr Anwer of the money during the same period.
Mr Anwer and his business partner had planned to venture into the gold business and had travelled to Ghana but were unable to obtain the gold.
They returned to Nairobi, where they met people who claimed to be agents for gold dealers.
Mr Anwer was taken to an office in Nairobi where he was given an invoice showing the amounts of tax to be paid and the details of a bank agent in Dubai where the money was to be paid and he paid the money in two instalments.
He was asked to deposit the money in the bank account and was then told that the gold would be delivered in Dubai.
Mr Taku and his accomplices told Mr Anwer that they were unable to deliver the gold in Dubai because they had been refused visas.
Mr Anwer was instructed to hire someone to receive the gold on his behalf in Dubai and to pay additional cash for the shipment of the gold, which he agreed to do and paid.
After receiving the cash, the suspect and his accomplices began driving the complainant in circles until Mr Anwer realised he had been duped.
He reported the matter to the police and lured Mr Taku to a meeting where he was accompanied by police officers who arrested the suspect on arrival.
Mr Taku was handed over to officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who investigated the case before he was charged at the Makadara Magistrate’s Court.
The suspect denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Mercy Malingu.
He was released on Sh5 million bail pending his trial, which starts on September 7.
