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A Nairobi trader accused of defrauding an Austrian businessman of more than Sh13.7million while pretending to be in a position to sell him 7kg of gold will on May 31 know his fate when court delivers a judgment in the case.
Kevin Obia alias Kevin Kleigh is charged with obtaining Euros 127,000 (Sh13.7million) on May 1, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi from Christian Gallati pretending he was in a position to sell to him 7kg of gold.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi had on February 12,2020 put Obia on his defence, saying the prosecution had proved a prima facie case against him.
After being found with a case to answer, Obia defended himself narrating to the court how he was arrested after a business meeting at Hilton hotel.
In his defence Obia, who gave a sworn defence, told the court that he was framed by the police and that he knows nothing about the fake gold trade.
The accused, who is out on bond, denied ever receiving any money from Gallati through false pretenses.
Asked by prosecuting counsel Angela Fuchaka whether he has ever handled gold bars, Obia said: “I have never handled gold bars neither am I in the gold business.”
The trader told the court that he only reads in the media how unsuspecting international traders have been conned millions of shillings in fake gold deals.
“I have never engaged in that illegal gold trade,” said the accused.
Obia is also facing a second count of attempting to defraud Gallati $570,000 (Sh54.1million) on May 18, 2015 claiming he was in a position to sell him13kg of gold.
In his defence, Obia said that on May 18, 2015 he was driven to Hilton Hotel by his driver Samuel Ndung’u Muturi to attend some business meetings.
He said that he had a brief meeting with his first group of guests at the hotel but was arrested immediately after the visitors left.
Obia said the officers who arrested him took him to the Central Police Station where they charged him with the current offences.
While testifying in defence of Obia, Muturi said he did not witness his boss receiving any money from anybody on the said date.
But on cross-examination by Fuchaka , Muturi said that on May 1, 2015 he was not working since it was Labour Day.
He said on the said day he was at home and cannot categorically state whether or not Obia received the money from Gallati.
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