How Congolese national defrauded investor of Sh156m in fake minerals deal
By Richard MungutiDetails of how a Congolese national allegedly defrauded an international investor of Sh156 million in a minerals deal have been laid bare in court.
The accused, Lumumba Ulundu Patrick alias Gabriel Kulonda Ulungu alias Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, reportedly pretended to be in a position to supply 84 metric tones of tantalum niobium to the investor.
According to the charge sheet, the accused committed the offence on December 26, 2023, jointly with others not before the court.
He allegedly obtained $1 million (Sh156 million) from Yingchen(Shenzenhen International Trade Company Limited by pretending he was in a position to sell to the company the precious minerals, a fact he knew to be false.
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The accused will now spend the weekend at Industrial Area Prison after Milimani Law Courts Chief Magistrate Benard Ochoi set the bond application date for Monday, April 8, 2024.
State prosecutor, James Gachoka, had opposed the bond application, saying the accused is a flight risk since he has no fixed abode in Kenya and is a holder of two travel documents and identification cards.
The prosecutor further told the court that when the accused entered Kenya, he did not use either of the passports, but used an inter-state travel document.
“I urge this court to deny the accused bond since he is a flight risk. He uses several travel documents to enter and exit the country. One he is out, he will disappear without trace,” Gachoka told the court.
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The prosecution also said the accused has not shown proper conduct during the investigations.
However, Lumumba, through his lawyer, told the court that has been living in Kenya for the last two years as a resident of Mombasa.
The accused also denied the two counts of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money through pretence.
In the same court, John Bosco Olago was charged with defrauding anHainan Rui Rong International Trading Limited of $103,000 by pretending that he sell them 1000 tones of white refined sugar, a fact he knew to be false.
Olago was granted a cash bail of Sh1million after he told the court that he has reached an out of court settlement with the complainant.