Fraudsters’ paradise: Inside the world of fake gold, currency dealers
Three of the four suspects in police custody after discovery of Sh2 billion of counterfeit dollars and fake gold bars at Barclays Bank’s Queensway branch in Nairobi last week. From left: Mr Ahmed Shah, Mr Eric Adede and Ms Elizabeth Muthoni. PHOTOS | COURTESY | TWITTER
What you need to know:
Most of the cases about gold scammers never make it to conviction in court after the complainants are frustrated by the police in cahoots with the legal system.
To date no modern-era gold fraudster has been sent to jail. Meanwhile, Kenya is fast gaining the reputation of being East Africa’s fraud capital
A complaint by a reveller in an upmarket restaurant on Nairobi’s Galana Road, eight days before Christmas in 2017, could have sounded alarm bells about Mr Kevin Obia who was charged this week for threatening a security guard with a gun.
It was about 5.30am on December 17 when a series of tweets by a user known as @mama_thea alleged that Mr Obia had harassed her together with her friends after they refused his advances.
FLASHY BUSINESSMEN
By day break, the complaint had started gaining traction online forcing the club’s management to issue an apology.
“We are deeply sorry about your horrible experience. Kindly explain to us what happened so that we can pick it up with the team in question,” responded the club.
By all accounts Mr Obia, who only frequents high end night clubs, is no ordinary Nairobi reveller. Together with his circle of friends they often post pictures on social media showing off huge amounts of money and expensive drinks.
Night clubs love them, blogs are not sure whether to refer to them as socialites or “flashy businessmen” and celebrities want to be associated with them.
They withdraw their firearms at the slightest provocation and always seem to get away with it despite Kenya’s tough gun laws. However, behind the façade of expensive clothes, jewellery, cars and beautiful women is a questionable source of income that has been an open secret in Nairobi for the last few years.
Mr Obia and a good number of his friends are all facing charges in court related to swindling people by pretending to be in a position to sell gold at discounted prices. Mr Obia himself is facing charges of obtaining Sh13.7 million while his close confidant, Mr Jared Otieno, is in court for obtaining Sh22 million. Politician Steve Mbogo was also charged with Sh100 million fraud while Mr Sameer Munyinyi has been charged with defrauding a businessman out of Sh27 million.
UNTOUCHABLE
How they continue to operate freely despite facing such charges is a puzzle that can only be answered by how well-connected some of the suspected fraudsters are within the security apparatus and politics. What’s more, the same individuals are often involved in multiple con schemes.
Yet from an office at Nairobi’s 5th Ngong Avenue, business continues as usual until one of them gets arrested — yet again — for swindling someone or for threatening to shoot someone.
