A Nairobi court has heard shocking testimony from Dr. Satninder Singh, who claims he was defrauded out of nearly Ksh. 150 million in a fraudulent gold deal involving a purported 150-kilogram consignment. Testifying virtually from Italy, Singh recounted how elaborate schemes, fake documents, and staged officials convinced him to part with the money.
How did the fake gold deal unfold?
Singh testified that the suspects presented him with certificates of ownership dated April 9, 2024, and a mineral export permit allegedly issued by the Mining Department on February 9. Although the men refused to give him the originals, he managed to photograph them.
At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Singh was instructed to check in and wait in the lounge for the supposed exporters. “We waited, but as departure time neared, they told us they were trying to sort out some issue,” he told the court.
The suspects later claimed that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had imposed a USD 1.62 million penalty and warned that unless it was paid within seven days, the gold would be confiscated. One of the accused, identified as Frank, assured him he would “take responsibility.” Singh eventually wired over €256,000 on March 8, followed by several other transfers totaling more than €1 million, close to Ksh.150,380,000.
Who were the suspects and how was the scam executed?
Prosecutors allege that Frank David Kateti, Alain Mwadia Nvita Lukusa, and Daniel Oteno Ogot conspired with others to defraud Singh’s company, Asianic Ltd. They are accused of stealing €2,168,238.91 (about Ksh.341.9 million) and USD 14,112 (about Ksh.2 million).
Singh explained that he was taken to Forodha House, where he met a woman introduced as Senior Customs Officer Susan Oketch. “She had my file. Both Ogot and Kateti were there. The office was on the ground floor, and Susan Oketch verified everything the gentleman had told me, including the purported original documents,” he testified. He later discovered she was not who she claimed to be.
What happened after the payments were made?
Despite the transfers, the gold was never delivered. Singh described how he was repeatedly misled with forged customs certificates, a fake Turkish Airlines airway bill, and shifting explanations about the shipment’s route. He was told at different times that the gold would be flown through Somalia Airlines, rerouted to Italy, or delivered on a UN charter.
One caller, introducing himself as diplomat Trevor Warren, even claimed a Congolese court order demanded USD 4.5 million to release the consignment. By March 25, Singh realized the documents were false and concluded the accused had deceived him.
By Risper Akinyi