Four suspects, including a Kenyan, a Liberian, and two Cameroonians, have been arraigned in court over alleged involvement in a fraudulent gold trading operation in Nairobi.
The accused, Patroba Odhiambo Tobias (Kenyan), Isaac Forkey Sleyon (Liberian), and Cameroonian nationals Among Ekoume Louis and Bernard Wadja Bangsi Tang were arrested on July 28, 2025, at a residence in the upscale Gigiri neighborhood.
Appearing before the court under a miscellaneous application, police sought to detain the four for 10 days to allow for further investigations.
According to an affidavit sworn by Corporal Maurice Nzia, the arrests followed an intelligence tip-off indicating a planned scheme to defraud members of the public by falsely purporting to engage in the gold trade.
“Officers acted swiftly and managed to trace the location where the four suspects were found,” stated Corporal Nzia.
The court heard that a search was conducted at the premises, leading to the recovery of key exhibits, including several mobile phones, a gold smelting machine, a gold weighing scale, a letter allegedly issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), various documents bearing different company stamps, and KRA customs seals.
Police allege the suspects were operating without valid work permits or licenses authorizing them to deal in precious minerals within Kenya.
“The recovered items are believed to have been used in a scheme to defraud unsuspecting individuals of their money under the pretense of a legitimate gold business,” Corporal Nzia noted.
Investigations also revealed that three of the suspects, Sleyon, Louis, and Tang, are foreign nationals who failed to provide documentation justifying their involvement in the gold trade in Kenya. Authorities further raised concerns that the group poses a flight risk, with none of them having a fixed address.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are yet to complete forensic analysis on the recovered mobile phones and rubber stamps. They also intend to verify the authenticity of the documents and obtain the suspects’ travel records from the Department of Immigration.
The court is expected to rule on the police application to detain the suspects on August 1, 2025.