Congolese national in fake gold case seeks bail

A Congolese national accused of defrauding a Ukrainian man of Sh105 million in a fake-gold syndicate will return before a magistrate today for a bond hearing.

Mr Andre Kongolo Tshikunga had been in hiding for four years before he was arrested and detained on January 6.

Lawyers for the Ukrainian national, Mr Kovalenko Hennadii, opposed bail for Mr Tshikunga.

They said the accused was a flight risk as he had been on the run from justice since 2018.

“Although the accused may deposit his passport in court as a bail condition, that is not a sure guarantee he will turn up for trial,” lawyer Gerry Owuor told Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi.

Mr Tshikunga was arrested on January 6 and detained at the Capitol Hill Police Station for interrogation.

Mr Hennadii flew to Kenya to positively identify the suspect before he was formally charged.

State prosecutor James Gachoka also opposed bail for the suspect.

“Mr Tshikunga is a Congolese national and will jump bail once released on bond,” Mr Gachoka told the court.

The court also heard that the accused has other pending cases.

But defence lawyer Stanley Kang’ahi said the accused is a naturalised Kenyan national.

He said the suspect is married to a Kenyan citizen and has children who attend schools in Nairobi.

“Mr Tshikunga is a Kenyan and not a flight risk as observed by the prosecutor,” the court heard.

The magistrate ordered that Mr Tshikunga remain in police custody until today January 17, when he will decide whether to free him on bond.

Mr Tshikunga denied that between January and November 2018 at Afrisolutions Company Ltd on Kaptei Road, Kileleshwa, in Nairobi, alongside others, he fraudulently obtained $1,059,000 from Mr Hennadii.

The magistrate heard that Mr Tshikunga pretended that he was in a position to sell a consignment of gold to Mr Hennadii.

Mr Tshikunga was charged seven days after Mr Hennadii identified him as the man who allegedly conned him.

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