Congolese in Sh130 Million Fake Tantalite Deal Released on Sh10 Million Bond 

A Congolese national was Friday arraigned before Milimani Chief Magistrate Bernard Ochoi to face charges of defrauding a Chinese company 1 Million US Dollars with the claim he would supply mineral ore to China.

Lumumba Ulundu Patrick alias Gabriel Kulonda Ilungu alias Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money by false pretense.

The accused Patrick Lumumba on diverse dates between August 7, 2023 and December 26, 2023, within Nairobi conspired with others who were not before the court to steal one million US dollars from Yingchen International Trade Company Limited by falsely pretending that he was in a position to sell to the company 84 metric tonnes of Titanium Niobium ore (Tantalite).

The accused denied the charges and was released on a bond of Sh10 million with one surety.

He was also ordered to surrender all his travel documents.

He is said to have duped the company and instead sent a heap of soil.

Part of the said export which turned out to be fake was intercepted at the Mombasa Port on January 30, 2024, by the Operations Support Unit (OSU) moments after touch down from Entebbe, Uganda.

Prosecution through James Gachoka while praying for stiff bond terms submitted that the accused person was a flight risk noting that he had no place of abode in Kenya and that he is a holder of two travel documents and identification cards.