Three City Scammers Who Defrauded Travel Agent Sh4.2M Remanded

Three gold scammers who conned a Nairobi travel agent Ksh4.2million will know their fate tomorrow when the court will rule on whether they will be released on bond or stay behind bars for 14 days to allow police conclude their investigations.

Raphael Kakule Ojiambo, Samuel Ayàko Kerandi and Wilfred Gitonga Kaburu are accused of obtaining the money from Jason Ocholla, a director of Flightwork Limited, by false pretences and being in possession of fake currency.

The investigating officer, Constable Felix Kemboi prayed to the court to grant him 14 days to hold the accused at Kilimani Police Station to allow him conclude Investigations against them.

They were arrested on January 17 at Lutta Plaza along Nyerere Road before they were arraigned to face charges of a case of conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money by false pretences.

Ocholla reported the matter at Kilimani Police Station after realising he had been conned of his money after a deal they had entered into to bring gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ended up being a con game.

Ocholla told the police that in the normal cause of conducting his travel and tours business, Kerandi went to his offices sometimes in June 2024 seeking a working Visa for Finland.

He explained to him the ordeal he had allegedly undergone through in the hands of other agents who frustrated who ended up conning him without processing the visa.

He successfully processed the visa successfully and handed it to him after a few months and he later proceeded to Finland.

According to Ocholla, Kerandi later called him via WhatsApp to request him to offer assistance to another client   client who had intentions of selling plutonium to a Russian businessman based in Kenya.

He wanted Ocholla to offer them his offshore account through which they would be receiving their money since the money involved is colossal sum of Ksh 194 million (US$ 1.5 million).

Kerandi proceeded to add the said client in the WhatsApp call and he introduced himself as Raphael Ojiambo.

They conversed and agreed to work together once the money to be wired was ready.

On November 21, 2024, Kerandi and Ojiambo visited his office and they discussed the deal in detail during which they informed him that the latter was to fly to the DRC the following day to pick the consignment.

However, Ojiambo started coming up with many excuses which resulted in Ocholla losing Ksh4,298,000 before realising it was a con game.

The prosecution said that Ocholla’s efforts to get his money back failed as Ojiambo and his syndicate of about eight people told him that the only way they would refund his money is by supplying him with material for cleaning fake money.

He pretended to have agreed to scheme but set a trap for them and on January 17, 2025, the three suspects visited him while in possession of fake currency amounting to Ksh1.2 million for cleaning. He alerted the police who acted swiftly and arrested them.

The officer urged the magistrate to grant him 14 days to complete Investigations and prefer charges against the suspects.

He told the court that the suspects are flight risk and can abscond if released at this stage,

“Your honour the suspects are flight risk and can abscond if released on bail,” the officer said.

The officer added that their accomplices are still at large and are making threats via numerous calls to the complainant.

He further added that he wants to ascertain the origin of the respondents through the National Registration Bureau because different identification cards including of foreign countries were recovered from them.

Their defence lawyer opposed the plea by the prosecution to detain the suspects for 14 days and prayed their release on bond.

“Your honour the Investigations to be conducted does not require the suspects in custody and I plead with this court to release them on bond,” he submitted.

The magistrate ordered them to be detained at Kilimani Police Station until tomorrow for determination on their request.