A man was charged over an alleged Sh51 million visa scam.
Brian Reeves Obare faced fraud charges at the Milimani Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
During the Wednesday hearing, Bonventure Aradi, a director at Golden Key Travel Consultants Limited testified before Magistrate Paul Mutai.
Aradi told the court that his company engaged Obare in good faith, believing he had the capacity to facilitate Canadian visas.
According to Aradi, Golden Key allegedly collected money from clients seeking visa services and forwarded the funds to the accused through official company channels.
He maintained that multiple employees were involved in the transactions and documentation process, emphasizing that the company allegedly operated transparently.
He testified that the payments, totaling over Sh51 million, were allegedly made under the impression that Obare had legitimate links to the Canadian Embassy and could successfully process the visas.
The company also allegedly handed over clients’ passports and supporting documents to him.
However, none of the visa applications were successful.
The court heard that some clients were allegedly denied boarding, arrested, or turned back during transit after their documents were found to be invalid.
Aradi further told the court that Golden Key has allegedly refunded more than Sh34 million to affected clients, while some were allegedly assisted to travel to alternative destinations in Europe.
The court also heard that Obare allegedly posed as a Canadian consulate official. Upon his arrest, investigators reportedly recovered additional identification documents, including what were described as a fake Seychelles ID and an expatriate employee card from Seychelles, both allegedly bearing his name and said to have expired on October 30, 2024.
In related proceedings before the High Court, a judge faulted a lower court decision to release items seized during Obare’s arrest at a pre-trial stage, ruling that the move was allegedly premature and procedurally flawed.
The judge directed that key item, including mobile phones, laptops, and a motor vehicle suspected to be linked to the alleged fraud, remain in police custody pending investigations and trial.
The court also held that such items should not be released before being formally produced as evidence.
Among the retained items are several digital devices undergoing forensic analysis, which are expected to allegedly form part of the prosecution’s case.
A Land Rover Discovery was also not released, with the court noting that its ownership and possible connection to the alleged offence must first be established during trial.
Obare has been charged with obtaining Sh51,244,650 by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution alleges that he deliberately misrepresented his ability to process visas, thereby allegedly causing financial losses to the company and individual clients.
The case was initially handled by Magistrate Lucas Onyina, who later recused himself after indicating that the defence had allegedly approached him in an attempt to compromise the matter.
The hearing is ongoing, with the prosecution seeking to demonstrate that the accused allegedly orchestrated a coordinated scheme to defraud unsuspecting clients.
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