Somali businessman charged in Sh50million fake cargo investment scam
A suspect linked to an alleged elaborate fraud scheme involving more than Sh51million (USD 394,000) has been arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts, as investigators pursue three other suspects believed to be on the run in what detectives describe as a calculated attempt to extort a businessman using fabricated claims.
Abdinoor Sharmake Mohamed was charged with conspiracy to defraud and giving false information to a person employed in the public service after investigations uncovered what authorities say was a carefully orchestrated plot designed to manipulate law enforcement processes.
The case traces back to 2023, when Mohamed and three alleged accomplices namely; Muna Dahir Dalmar, Salma Osman Gureye and Shamis Warsame Osman reported to Pangani Police Station claiming they had been defrauded USD 394,209 by a businessman.
According to their complaint, the group alleged that in 2022 they had handed over the money in cash as an investment in a joint cargo business venture operating under a company known as African Express Cargo.
The suspects claimed that after receiving the funds, the businessman failed to launch the business as agreed, became evasive and eventually fled the country.
To support their allegations, the complainants presented what they described as an acknowledgement of debt dated May 2, 2023, allegedly signed by the businessman in the presence of an advocate.
The document was presented to police as proof that the businessman had indeed received the funds and committed to repaying the amount.
However, the case took a dramatic turn after detectives from the Starehe Sub-County investigations unit took over the file and began reviewing the complaint.
The businessman, who had initially been treated as the primary suspect, was eventually arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in March 2025.
Upon his arrest, he strongly disputed the allegations and instead claimed he had been abducted by individuals posing as police officers.
According to his statement, he was unlawfully detained, his passport confiscated and he was forced under duress to sign the purported debt acknowledgement.
The businessman further alleged that he was compelled to pay USD 17,000 to secure his release and recover his passport, and an additional USD 30,000 under threats of deportation.
These revelations prompted investigators to reopen the matter and conduct a fresh and detailed inquiry that ultimately discredited the original report made to police.
Detectives established that the allegations filed at Pangani Police Station had been fabricated.
Investigations revealed that the businessman was not in Kenya at the time the alleged fraud was said to have occurred.
Travel records and other evidence further showed that none of the complainants were present at the Nairobi hotel where the alleged cash transaction was said to have taken place.
Authorities also found no evidence of any cash exchange between the parties, casting serious doubt on the existence of the purported investment arrangement and the authenticity of the debt acknowledgement document.
Following the findings, the case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which concluded that the initial complaint amounted to the deliberate provision of false information to public officers.
Prosecutors believe the alleged scheme was designed to extort money from the businessman and manipulate the criminal justice system.
Mohamed was subsequently arrested and charged in Makadara Chief Magistrate’s Criminal Case No. E1091 of 2026, while police continue to search for his three alleged accomplices.
