A Kenyan fake gold merchant was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in connection with a USD 600,000 fake gold fraud scheme targeting an Australian national.
The accused, Duncan Okaka Okonji, was arrested on March 24, 2026, and presented in court on March 25, 2026, where he was charged with conspiracy to defraud contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code.
He denied the charge and was released on a bond of Sh5 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh1 million, with two contact persons. The case is scheduled for mention on April 7, 2026, at the Milimani Law Courts.
According to investigators, the complaint dates back to October 2025, when the victim, while in Dubai, was introduced to an individual identified as Marshall Morrison, who allegedly posed as an American investor.
Morrison is said to have linked the victim to Okonji, who presented himself as a facilitator of a 590 kg gold consignment transaction.
Investigations further indicate that the complainant was taken to Tanzania, where he was shown purported mining sites, before being brought to Kenya.
The suspects allegedly staged a series of meetings and prepared documentation to convince the victim that arrangements were underway to ship the gold consignment to Dubai.
Believing the transaction to be legitimate, the complainant reportedly transferred USD600,000 (Sh78 million) through Conrad Law Advocates LLC before later suspecting fraud and reporting the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The lawyer involved in the scheme is yet to be found. He has also been mentioned in a number of similar schemes.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has reiterated its commitment to dismantling transnational fraud syndicates, disrupting organised investment scams, and ensuring that proceeds of crime are identified, traced, and recovered in accordance with the law.
Businesspersons are reminded to be wary of rings of organized fraudsters who sit in opulence, grabbing every slight opportunity to gain from the toil and sweat of genuine traders.
Director DCI Mohammed Amin implored on members of the public to remain alert when engaging in the so called gold bussiness as it has been established that fake gold merchants are once again trying to establish their foothold in the capital city.
Dozens of the fake gold dealers have been arrested in a series of police operations in the country. This is the latest such case involving Kenyans and foreigners who are conned over fake gold scams.
Cases where foreigners are being conned or money over fake gold on sale are on the rise.
Police have been asking foreigners seeking to purchase gold in the country to always seek the help of their respective embassies.
Police say they have arrested dozens involved in the cases and charged them in courts.
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