Sh600m gold scam: Congolese trader Andre Tshikunga detained
Congolese businessman Andre Kongolo Tshikunga at the Milimani Law Court on January 7, 2022.
A Nairobi court has ordered that a Congolese national accused of defrauding a Ukranian businessman Sh600 million in a fake gold deal be detained for seven days.
Milimani Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Jane Kamau on Friday directed that Mr Andre Kongolo Tshikunga be held at Capitol Hill Police Station until the Ukranian national comes to Kenya to record statements.
The court said that there is a need for an identification parade to enable the complainant to positively identify the suspect.
Ms Kamau said the prosecution led by Fredrick Kimathi has presented evidence to show the need to detain the suspect for seven days.
The magistrate said that due to Covid-19 pandemic, the complainant should be given time to make travel arrangements to fly to Kenya to record statements.
“The prosecution has shown that it has evidence to link the suspect (Tshikunga) with the fake gold trade where the complainant has lost a huge sum of money,” Ms Kamau ruled.
She said the police should be given more time to investigate the illegal gold trade to protect genuine international businessmen from losing money in fake deals.
The suspect’s lawyer urged the court to free his client on bond.
State prosecutor Fredrick Kimathi opposed the bail request saying the suspect, being a foreigner, is a flight risk.
Mr Kimathi told the court that the suspect has been travelling to different parts of the country doing unexplained businesses.
“Mr Tshinguka lured the Ukranian national to fly to Kenya for gold business deals and in the process the complainant lost a huge sum of money,” Mr Kimathi said.
Mr Tshikunga will be presented in court on January 14, 2022.
