A city lawyer has been charged over an alleged Ksh37 million fake gold scam as prosecutors oppose his release on bail pending trial.A Nairobi-based lawyer has been arraigned over an alleged Ksh37 million fake gold scam, with prosecutors accusing him of obtaining millions of shillings from a businessman by falsely claiming he could facilitate the sale of 400 kilograms of gold.
The advocate appeared before the court on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, alongside a co-accused, where both were charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
According to the prosecution, the two allegedly obtained more than Ksh37 million from the complainant on various dates between May 1 and May 9, 2023. Prosecutors told the court they falsely claimed they were in a position to sell the businessman 400 kilograms of gold, despite knowing the claims were untrue.
The State alleges the accused used the false representations to defraud the complainant of the money.
The prosecution opposed the lawyer's release on bail, arguing that he had previously failed to appear before the court and that his place of residence could not be confirmed.
State prosecutors further told the court that the advocate posed a flight risk and was unlikely to attend future court proceedings if released on bail.
The defence, however, opposed the application, maintaining that the advocate was ready to cooperate with the judicial process and would honour all court dates.
Lawyers representing the accused also informed the court that he already had another court appearance scheduled for next week, arguing that this demonstrated his willingness to participate in the legal process and that there were no sufficient grounds to deny him bail.
The court is expected to rule on the bail application on Thursday morning.
Separately, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is pursuing another case involving the same advocate over allegations that he misappropriated Ksh49.4 million entrusted to him to facilitate the purchase of a parcel of land.
According to investigators, the complainant transferred Ksh49,400,500 to the advocate in several instalments between November 16, 2023, and January 3, 2024, for the proposed land transaction. Detectives allege the lawyer diverted the funds for personal use instead of completing the purchase and is expected to face charges of stealing by an agent once investigations are concluded.
The two cases come amid growing scrutiny of advocates accused of mishandling clients' money and involvement in fraudulent schemes, raising fresh concerns over the misuse of client funds and abuse of professional trust.