0
0
A Kibera court on Monday the 28th August allowed police more time to decide whether to charge a businessman Edwin Oduk accused of defrauding a French National over Sh 12 billion in a cotton minerals business.
When the case came up for mention before senior principal magistrate Charles Mwaniki, the prosecution applied for extension of time until September 7, to enable detectives complete investigation into the alleged fraud.
A week ago Mwaniki had released Oduk on cash bail of Sh 500,000 pending investigation.
While giving his verdict on a miscellaneous application filed in court by the detectives Investigating the matter the magistrate said that the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence to hold the businessman for the said days.
Oduk was arrested last August 16,2023 on allegations of swindling a French National in an incident where he claimed to be in a position to process the release of USD 89 million equivalent to Sh12.8 billion in a fictitious account and transport it for him in cash from Gabon to Ghana then Rwanda, only for him to later claim that Kenyan authorities impounded the cash.
Police detective Inspector Nicolas Njoroge from the Kilimani DCI office had told the court that the businessman was a flight risk and he was arrested after the complainant in the case reported his alleged involvement in fraud at the police station.
According to the officer’s affidavit indicated that on diverse dates between July 22/2022 and August 26/2023 with others not before the court with intent to defraud conspired to steal USD 89,000,000 from William Tuil a french National purporting the he was in a position to transfer money from Gabon to Rwanda.
He told the court that the money was to be used in the business of selling cotton minerals.
The detective told the court that since some of the transactions were done in foreign nations, more witnesses from outside Kenya are yet to record their statements.
The court heard that the respondent received some money through some bank accounts that are yet to be traced hence more time was needed.
“The complainant was informed by the respondent that his consignment of money had been detained at the JKIA pending clearance by the Kenya Authority. The respondent further asked for more money from the complainant which was to facilitate storage and transportation where a private jet was to be used to transport the consignment from Qatar to Rwanda,” the court heard.
The said consignment never reached in Rwanda where the respondent was waiting for them.
The detectives had also told the court that he needed the said time to search for more suspects who are still at large.
The matter will now be mentioned on the 7th of September.
