Wash Wash: German And Kenyan Partner Arraigned For Defrauding Swiss National In Sh21M Fake Gold Scam

A 61-year-old German National and his 47-year-old Kenyan accomplice have been charged with obtaining over Sh21 million from a Swiss national.

Richard Heineg Olaf and Julius Kirimi Muthuri were presented before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki where they denied the fraud charges.

Kirimi and Heineg- who is said to be the chief executive officer of Euro Future Africa and the Director of Dream Couple Safaris of Kenya and Uganda, were accused of conspiring to steal the amount on diverse dates between November 14, 2023 and March 4, 2024.

The duo are accused of conspiring to steal USD 163,490 from Roger Gahwiler, by falsely pretending that they were in a position to facilitate transportation of an alleged gold consignment weighing 700 kilogram.

They are further accused of stealing $30 million in cash belonging to Gahwiler which was to be transported from Kenya to Turkey.
The court heard that Kirimi and Heineg also jointly obtained from Gahwiler $163,490 by falsely pretending that they were in a position to facilitate the shipment of the gold consignment from Kenya to Turkey.

They two were arrested at Red Ruby Hotel along Ojijo Road in Parklands.

According to DCI ,the victim fell into the hands of the two scammers after he was informed by his ailing father who had worked in Ghana that about twenty years ago and had acquired some property in Ghana which he later sold and left the proceeds under the custody of a trustee in Ghana.

In pursuit of this treasure, he connected with a Ghanaian lady namely Mamee Efua Esong who was the translator during the transaction and proceeded to contact and meet her in the year 2020.

This lady claimed to be familiar with his father’s earlier transactions and confirmed to him that the proceeds of the sale of the property were available to a tune of $62.8 million but the same needed a special purpose company for ease of transfer.

The Swiss national was tricked into registering a company that was to be used to transfer the money to his home country but not before paying taxes and facilitation money to the scammers in Ghana, Dubai, Tanzania, Uganda and later Kenya all in a bid to have his father’s consignment move to Switzerland.

While in Kenya, he was introduced to Heinig who would later enjoin Kirimi in November, 2023 who claimed to own Lawsam Security Company which was hired to transport and store the cargo which was allegedly inspected and stored in a Nairobi airport where he would later be denied access to the containers forcing him to part with approximately USD 400,000 to the suspects in facilitation fees.

The court is to deliver its ruling on 13th September.