Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Saturday, October 7 revealed how they tracked down and arrested a politician involved in conning people in fake gold deals in Nairobi.
According to the DCI, Jonathan Okoth Opande who vied for the Nyakach parliamentary seat in the 2022 polls had evaded police for months until Friday, October 6.
Opande, who lost in the 2022 elections was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after booking a flight from Nairobi to Kisumu.
“Opande also known as Chairman/Kiongozi was ejected from a Kisumu-bound KQ flight yesterday afternoon, by hawk-eyed detectives who had gotten wind of his last-minute travel itinerary,” read part of the DCI statement.
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He is being accused of, defrauding two Thai nationals of over Ksh13 million, in a fake gold deal.
“According to a complaint lodged at the Royal Thai Embassy in April 2023 by Messrs Kitvisit Songsri and Nutsaphol Songsri, the suspect posing as the CEO of Blu Afrique LTD obtained the money from them in the pretext that he would supply them gold whose quantity was not immediately established,” DCI noted in a report.
The two foreigners had traveled to Nairobi on April 17 to seal the deal when they realized days later that they were the latest victims of notorious fake gold dealers.
The duo had been introduced to Opande by his accomplice Fred Obach Oliech, who was arrested on August 23, and arraigned in court.
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A raid at his office in Lavington’s Gatina area led to the recovery of KRA export seals, a dust coat branded ‘Ministry of Mining,’ and digital weighing scales among other items.
He is being held at Buruburu police station pending arraignment on Monday, October 9.
