cum Fraudster Ochieng Oduk
A Kibera court has declined to allow detectives seven days to detain a city businessman Edwin Ochieng Oduk accused of defrauding a French National of millions of Shillings in cotton minerals business pending investigations.
Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Mwaniki while giving his verdict on a miscellaneous application filed in court by the detectives Investigating the matter said that the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence to hold the businessman for the said days.
He directed that he pays a cash bail of Sh500,000 and report to the detectives Investigating the matter on a daily basis as required.
In his application, Police Inspector Nicolas Njoroge from the Kilimani DCI office had told the court that the businessman was a flight risk and he was arrested after the complainant in the case reported his alleged involvement in fraud at the police station.
“That on diverse dates between July 22/2022 and August 26/2023 with others not before the court with intent to defraud conspired to steal USD 89,000,000 from William Tuil a french National purporting the he was in a position to transfer money from Gabon to Rwanda,” Njoroge told the court.
He told the court that the money was to be used in the business of selling cotton minerals.
The detective told the court that since some of the transactions were done in foreign nations, more witnesses from outside Kenya are yet to record their statements.
The court heard that the respondent received some money through some bank accounts that are yet to be traced hence more time was needed.
“The complainant was letter informed by the respondent that his consignment of money had been detained at the JKIA pending clearance by the Kenya Authority. The respondent further asked for more money from the complainant which was to facilitate storage and transportation where a private jet was to be used to transport the consignment from Qatar to Rwanda,” the court heard.
The said consignment never reached in Rwanda where the respondent was waiting for them.
The detectives had also told the court that he needed the said time to search for more suspects who are still at large.