Amos Kareithi
Mystery
deepened on investigations into the fake gold scam involving the United
Arab Emirates royal family even as details emerged as to how Nairobi
morphed into a citadel of fake gold.
A leaked audio recording of a conversation between a purported local
fixer of the UAE middlemen muddied the waters of the ongoing probe into
Sh400 million scam with names of President Uhuru Kenyatta and former
Prime Minister Raila Odinga being dropped.
In the fresh twist to the matter, the
name of a Cabinet Secretary as
well one of the 15 suspects detained were also mentioned in
circumstances implying they tried to free nabbed gold. And Jared Otieno,
the businessman arrested in connection to fake gold scam appeared in
court to say he was not part of the UAE investigations.
“I have not heard it, I have not seen it. So I cannot comment on it,”
State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena told the Saturday Standard yesterday
when we sought to know the role the President may have played into the
gold scam investigations.
SEE ALSO :UAE to validate any Boeing MAX fix before lifting airspace ban
Detained suspects
Raila’s ODM official Philip Etale also denied that the former Premier was contacted in regard to the fake gold.
Police have so far detained several suspects in the fake gold syndicate
that has defrauded dozens of unsuspecting foreigners in Nairobi. The
operation was triggered by a complaint by members of the Dubai royal
family to the state.
At the centre of the investigation is extortion of millions of shillings
purportedly to secure release of five tonnes of gold allegedly seized
at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
The “seizure” was supposedly the first tranche of a 23-tonne gold
consignment that was to be brought from the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
SEE ALSO :Saudi Arabia, UAE to send Sh300b in aid to Sudan
The names of the President and Raila were reportedly dropped in the process of trying to rescue the tranche.
Nairobi has earned the dishonourable distinction as the regional capital
of fake gold, whose clients are being lured from the Middle East, South
America and Europe. Investigations by the Saturday Standard show
that following the takeover of gold trade in Nairobi by the underworld,
legitimate dealers have been driven out of the country.
The millionaire kingpins with lavish lifestyles have been investing
millions of shillings in luring wealthy foreigners eager to make quick
money from discounted gold in shady deals.
Following a spate of scams which have left foreigners counting huge
losses that run into millions of shillings, the Director of Criminal
Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti has warned investors to clear with
relevant government agencies before engaging in gold trade.
There are reports indicating that at least two Kenyans had been arrested
in Dubai over the matter, while in Nairobi, Mr Kinoti has told
embassies and high commissions to advise their nationals venturing in
gold business to be wary of fraudsters.
SEE ALSO :Gold worth billions smuggled out of Africa
How they operate
“The gold scam has now reached alarming levels as unsuspecting foreign
nationals are being swindled out of large amounts of money by
fraudsters,” the DCI boss said.
Fifteen suspects were arraigned in court on Tuesday, where the prosecution sought more time to conclude investigations.
In a miscellaneous application, the prosecution said investigators
needed time to establish the nationalities of three suspects - Abouma
Famous, Salim Ali Abubakar and Albert Likole Lokunda.
The investigators also said they were yet to confirm the validity of the
metal bars alleged to be gold that were recovered in the respondents’
office on Kaputei Road in Valley Arcade, Nairobi.
SEE ALSO :Senator in Sh400m gold scam involving UAE royal family
The consignment bearing Ghanian custom papers was stuffed in metallic boxes and their weight altered using cement and mallets.
United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Eight vehicles belonging to the suspects bearing fake number plates were
also seized during the raid. Our investigations show that the operators
have formed an unholy alliance, whose leader is a self-effacing
businessman and a number of members of parliament, rogue police
officers, judiciary and immigration staff, as well as bankers.
Investigators probing the scam said they have lifted the veil on the
scammers who have woven intricate webs to snare their victims.
According to insiders, the kingpin who is already in police custody, has
marketers who are deployed in major cities around the world and booked
in expensive hotels.
“They frequent five-stars hotels, where they mingle with the super-rich,
pretending to be successful businessmen with vast experience in gold
trade. They have impressive websites with company profiles purporting to
have been in business for over 30 years,” said an investigator.
If a potential client takes interest in the embellished gold deals from
the fake marketer, they will be offered a deal to buy a gram of gold for
Sh3,500 but on condition that they buy in bulk.
This, according to conventional gold traders is a sweet deal. Kephers
Ojuka, the chairman of Migori County Miners Association, said the rate
is offered for raw, unprocessed gold.
“The price of ungraded gold is Sh3,300 per gramme at the mines. Once it
is taken to Migori town and cleaned, the price rises to Sh4,150 per
gramme,” Mr Ojuka explains.
Back to the scammers. If the buyer takes the hook, they are invited to Kenya.
There is a house along Menelik Road where a number of foreign gold
prospectors are taken and shown gold being smelted to make bars, ready
for export. On the day of the visit, some police officers will be hired
and even would evn mount a parade for the visitor.
“If the client is impressed, they will be told to pay a deposit
equivalent to half the value of the gold they want to buy. I recently
investigated a case where a Brazilian was taken to the house and later
conned out of Sh86 million last year,” said Steve Odero, a private
investigator.
As soon as the money is deposited in foreign accounts, mostly in Turkey,
Dubai or Qatar, it is wired into many other banks in different parts of
the world.
And as the foreign client waits for their gold to be processed, the host
will hire choppers to fly the guest to exotic tourists resorts where
they will be accorded VIP treatment.
Disposal
Once the deposit is paid, an elaborate scheme is hatched to dispose of the guest.
They will be taken to a bank vault and shown real gold bars, which are
even tested to prove that the precious metal is real. The client will
then be made to believe that the remaining consignment of gold is in a
different city, such as Kisumu or Mombasa, where it will be fetched.
The scammers travel by road, our sources indicated, ostensibly to offer
the ‘tourist’ an opportunity to sample Kenya’s beauty. But in reality,
it is to allow the scammers an escape route.
“I was once recruited in a disposal operation. I was offered Sh5
million. We got some policemen with an official car and trailed a victim
who had just paid Sh60 million. On the way, we intercepted him and his
hosts and confiscated the gold they were carrying,” a security source
intimated.
During the operation, the host spent Sh2.1 million to hire choppers and a
further Sh20,000 per day in entertaining the victim before he was
ultimately conned and dumped in a hotel in Mombasa.
When he was busted, the foreigner disowned the gold because he was
informed that it was a crime to conduct business in the country without a
valid work permit.
And as the protesting scammer was hurled out of the vehicle, the
foreigner was driven to Mombasa where was booked in high-end resort as
his host organised to bail his gold out.
The prospector had to fork out more money to buy his gold back before he
was later abandoned by the driver while his host in Nairobi switched
off his phone. There have been instances where prospectors have been
shown gold in bank vaults and even told to appoint their clearing agents
to ship it out.
Upon returning home and paying exorbitant fees for export duty, they
receive useless gold-coated metal disguised as gold. When they complain,
the scammers feign innocence and even ask for more money to facilitate
investigations.
Our investigations show that rogue police officers are paid between Sh1
million and Sh5 million to arrest and deport the victims who insist on
staying close to their gold. This is when crooked immigration officers
are roped in. One such officer, sources indicate, had just completed a
Sh65 million house in Juja.
The Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) expressed regret that a legitimate trade has been driven underground by unfavourable policies.
KCM chief executive officer Moses Njeru explained that gold trade
collapsed in 2013 after the government effected Legal Notice number 187,
which hiked the royalties payable by miners and decreed that buyers
must indicate the details of those selling the mineral.
“When the government introduced the the two per cent royalty, the only
licensed buyer, Ushidi Export, closed. Now, most of the gold produced in
Kenya is being smuggled out of the country,” Mr Njeru added.
Pages
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
No comments :
Post a Comment