Africa-Press – Kenya. Director Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has recalled a police file in a case in which 10 suspects among them two politicians are linked to Sh67 million gold scam. The case came up for plea-taking before Milimani Senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu on Monday.
The suspects did not plead to charges because a police file had been forwarded to the office of the DPP for review before making a decision on whether to charge them or not. The fate of the suspects, including eight Kenyans, one Greek and one Indian national, lies with the DPP’s office.
They are Samuel Wathika Gathuru who is identified as a police officer, Moses Otieno Oketch, Patroba Odhiambo Tobias, Elisha Mbadi Kimbero, Teddy Samora Kowino, Loaennis Kaisarios, Mugabe Patrick Biriko, Seth Steve Okute, Bruno Otieno Oliende and Collins Kiprotich Langat.
However, the magistrate directed the case to be mentioned on March 6, for DPP to confirm the way forward with the case. She also extended their earlier cash bail of Sh 100,000 each pending further direction.
Okute is a Politician who contested for the Karachuonyo parliamentary seat in 2022 on an Orange Democratic Movement party ticket, while Oliende contested for the Suna East Parliamentary seat in Migori County as an Independent.
At the same time Okute and Oliende were separately charged with obtaining from Marjorie Grant USD 100,000 equivalent to Sh12.7 million by falsely pretending that Newsky’s Global cargo Movers Intern Ltd were in a position to pay custom duties for 33 kilograms of gold shipped from Burkina Faso.
According to the prosecution, the duo was nabbed following a report made by the victim, who has been identified as Marjorie Grant, an American-based investor living in Los Angeles, California.
Okute was the first one to be nabbed before the detectives also went to Otieno’s palatial home in Kitusuru, Nairobi County. Reportedly, Okute was found in possession of a Baretta Pistol loaded with 13 rounds.
At his home, the sleuths found heavy metallic boxes, suspected to be used to store crucial information that is currently assisting the officers in the investigations. They are believed to have defrauded two American nationals in the gold fraud deal that went wrong.
“Detectives have recovered two firearms and over 470 rounds of ammunition of 9mm and 5.56 mm calibre, after arresting 10 suspects believed to have defrauded $534,000 (Sh67.3 million) from two American citizens,” a statement by the DCI read in part.
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