Detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are holding three suspects linked to an international fake gold fraud syndicate for allegedly swindling two foreign nationals Sh340million in pretext they were in a position to supply a consignment of the precious metal.
The two foreign nationals who are also complainants in the case have been identified as Marco Colombo Conti and Satbinder Singh.
The suspects linked to the scam have been profiled as Allain Mwadia Nvita, the seller, and his associates—Lehman John Raymond, Daniel Ogot of Patvad Trading Co. Ltd, and Tanzanian agent Frank Kateti.
Three suspects are being held in custody by DCI officers in Nairobi.
According to DCI findings, the seemingly well planned scam began in June 2022, when Marco, a business associate of Satbinder, travelled to Kenya intending to purchase 100 kilograms of gold from a man identified as Allain.
Marco made an initial payment of USD 400,000 for duty and other charges through a law firm known as Squire AfriLaw Consult Limited.
In return, he was given 12 kilograms of gold, which the seller claimed could be taken as hand luggage to recover the funds.
However, when Marco was about to leave Kenya, the seller informed him that the 12 kilograms of gold could not be taken as it was part of a larger 112-kilogram consignment.
He was advised to store it in a safe at Mysafe Vaults in Village Market, Nairobi.
Marco, believing the deal was still legitimate, accepted it and left Kenya.
On February 5, 2024, Marco returned to Kenya, this time accompanied by Satbinder, who was also interested in purchasing the gold.
Upon arrival, they were introduced to Allain, the seller, and his associates—Lehman John Raymond, Daniel Ogot of Patvad Trading Co. Ltd, and Tanzanian agent Frank Kateti.
The group agreed that 31 kilograms of gold would be given to them, which would cover Marco’s initial payment and offset any further expenses incurred by Satbinder.
On the same day, Daniel Ogot invoiced Satbinder’s company, Asianic Limited, for 162,240 Euros and 548,830 Euros, directing payment to an escrow account held at Stanbic Bank under Mosota Abunga & Associates Advocates, LLP.
Another invoice of 14,112 Euros for freight charges was issued on February 7, 2024, with the payments being made the following day.
On February 9, 2024, the foreign nationals retrieved the 31 kilograms of gold from Mysafe Vaults and proceeded to the clearing agent’s office, where the gold was packed into two blue metallic boxes.
The consignment was sealed, signed, and stamped in preparation for their flight.
However, as they departed for the airport, both the clearing agent, Ogot, and the agent, Kateti, failed to deliver the promised documents and consignment to the airport.
The foreigners were forced to fly out empty-handed.
While in Italy, they were informed by Ogot that an error in the consignment’s declared weight had led to its confiscation by Kenyan Customs and that their license had been suspended.
Ogot demanded a fine of USD 1,562,000, equivalent to 20 per cent of the consignment’s value, to release the gold.
Desperate to recover the consignment, Satbinder flew back to Kenya and paid 1,438,460 Euros into the same escrow account, still unaware that he was being defrauded.
Satbinder was introduced to a woman named Susan Oketch, who falsely claimed to be a customs officer at JKIA and confirmed the fine’s authenticity.
She also provided fake ownership documents.
Satbinder returned to the UK on March 20, 2024, but the scammers continued to mislead him, even sending him fake airway bills for a supposed delivery to Ireland.
Growing suspicious, Satbinder wrote to the Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to verify the legitimacy of the documents.
Following an investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), it was revealed that all the documents provided to the complainants were forged.
None of the individuals posing as customs officials were KRA employees, and Patvad Trading Limited was not licensed to trade in minerals by the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs.
“Patvad Trading Limited was not licensed by the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs to trade in any minerals, the airline company confirmed that the airway bills did not originate from them and thatcumulatively, the complainant had been defrauded a total of 2,168,258.91 Euros equivalent to Sh341,949,292.” An investigation report by the DCI reads in part.
The airline also confirmed that the airway bills were fake.
In total, the complainants were defrauded of 2,168,258.91 Euros, equivalent to Sh341,949,292.
The three suspects have been arraigned in court, while the file on the advocate’s conduct for breach of escrow account management has been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for further review and action.
There has been skyroketing cases of gold scammers involving local and foreign unscruplous operatives and businessmen allegedly with links to political honchos in the country.
