Three Alleged Gold Fraudsters Charged Anew at Milimani Law Courts

Three men accused of being serial gold fraudsters were on Thursday charged afresh at the Milimani Law Courts, facing allegations of obtaining over Ksh 343 million through false pretenses.

The trio—Frank David Kateti, Alain Mwandia Nvita Lukusa, and Daniel Otieno Ogot—allegedly misled their victims by claiming they were in a position to supply 142 kilograms of gold.

The suspects appeared before Milimani Magistrate Wendy Nyamu, where they pleaded not guilty to all four counts leveled against them. Magistrate Nyamu released the accused on the same bond terms previously granted by earlier courts.

The charges against Kateti, Lukusa, and Ogot stem from incidents that allegedly occurred between February 5 and June 13, 2024, in Nairobi County. The chargesheet details that the three, along with others not present in court, conspired to defraud Asianic Limited by falsely representing that they could supply the company with 142 kilograms of gold—a claim they knew to be untrue.

Represented by their lawyer, Danstan Omari, the defendants informed the court that they had received all the necessary witness statements from the prosecution ahead of the upcoming hearing. “We can confirm that we have received all the documents from the state in regards to this matter,” Omari stated.

Omari also sought the release of the passport belonging to the second accused, Alain Lukusa, arguing that there was no previous court order mandating its detention. However, the prosecution opposed this request, maintaining that the passport was being held to ensure Lukusa’s attendance in court. The state indicated that Lukusa could apply for the release of his passport if he needed to travel, but only with the court’s permission.

The court was informed that four witnesses are set to testify in the case. The matter has been scheduled for mention on October 7, 2024, when the court will likely set dates for the hearing and further directions.

The case has drawn significant attention due to the substantial amounts of money involved and the growing concerns over gold fraud schemes in Kenya. The suspects remain under scrutiny as the legal process unfolds.