Flashy businessman Kevin Obia alias Kevin Kleigh has been sentenced to one year behind bars in a fake gold case.
Magistrate Francis Andayi found Obia guilty of attempting to defraud an Austrian of more than Sh13.7 million under the pretence that he would sell him 7Kgs of gold.
Andayi did, however, give the accused a Sh300,000 fine option.
Read: “Foreigner” Kevin Obia, Seen Wielding Gun In Kileleshwa Released On Sh500, 000 Bail
The controversial businessman was charged with obtaining Euros 127,000 (Sh13.7 million) on May 1, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, from Christian Gallati by falsely pretending he would sell him 7kgs of gold.
The trial magistrate while delivering his ruling noted that there was a bigger person behind the scam.
The other person was identified as Jared Otieno who is apparently in the wind.
Read Also: Police Arrest “Foreigner” Kevin Obia, Seen Wielding Gun In Kileleshwa
“Jared Otieno is still at large and they have failed to arrest him,” said Andayi.
Obia told the court that on the material day he had arranged a meeting with a South African disk jockey.
This he said as he denied knowing the complainant or involvement in the gold business.
Read Also: Here’s The Ksh300 Million “Loan” That Roped Jared Otieno Into The Fake Gold Scam
“I have never handled gold bars, neither am I in the gold business. I have never engaged in that illegal gold trade,” he said.
He did, however, recall two separate groups of people greeting him and later leaving the hotel.
As for Gallati, the court noted that he did not suffer any loss as he lacked prerequisite certificates and licenses to engage in the gold business.
Read Also: “Don’t Link Me with the Dubai Gold Scam, My Issue is Different” – Jared Otieno
The court also ordered that the exhibits be destroyed.
In 2019, Obia was arrested for wielding a gun and threatening a security guard in Kileleshwa.
He was released on bond.
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