Vietnamese gambler charged with Sh6 million theft
A Vietnamese gambler who allegedly swindled a city casino of Sh6.5 million has been charged with cheating and use of fraudulent means and trick devices to obtain money.
Nguyen Thi Hoa was charged at Kibera law courts with inducing the Galaxy Casino in Kilimani, Nairobi to pay her a greater sum of money for such tricks and devices on January 11.
The suspect had started playing poker cards at the Casino in December last year and became a regular customer at the casino.
She won several times and the management realised she was using unusual activities which made the manager stop her from playing.
The company discovered that she was allegedly cheating and started gathering evidence before reporting her to the police.
The casino had lost Sh6.5 million which the suspect won allegedly by way of cheating.
But Hoa denied the charges before resident magistrate William Tullel of Kibera law courts.
Through an interpreter, Hoa said she was not aware of the said cheating.
The prosecution told the court that Hoa is a flight risk as she had paid an air ticket to fly out of the country when she learnt the matter had been reported to the police.
Police constable John Muriuki in a sworn affidavit said it will be difficult to trace the suspect if released on bond or bail.
She was arrested on January 22 the same date she was to fly to Vietnam.
Her lawyers said she had bought a ticket and prepared to travel before the matter was reported to police and her travel plans had nothing to do with the case. They applied for bail and bond terms for her.
She was freed on a bond of Sh1 million with two Kenyan sureties of a like sum. In addition, she was directed to surrender her travel documents.
The case will be mentioned on March 14.