Two men who are alleged to have conned the director of Milestone Gemstone Kenya Limited of Tanzanite minerals valued at Sh 22 M have been charged with fraud.
Humphrey Mulindi Muthahana and Steve Ochieng denied charges of conspiracy to defraud Emily Silaton Mututua,
They are alleged to have falsely claimed that they could sell Tanzanite minerals in Dubai, despite knowing this to be untrue.
According to the prosecution, between February 3, 2021, and March 5, 2021, the two conspired to defraud Mututua of Tanzanite minerals weighing 687.283 carats, valued at USD 203,436 approximately Sh 22.3 Million.
In a second count, it was alleged that on February 5, 2021, at the Ministry of Mining offices in Nairobi, the suspects fraudulently obtained Tanzanite minerals weighing 456.8 carats, worth USD 147,553 (approximately Ksh16.2 million), from Mututua under the pretense that they would sell them in Dubai.
“Mulindi and Ochieng obtained Tanzanite minerals weighing 456.8 carats, valued at USD 147,553, from Emily Silaton Mututua, falsely claiming they would sell them in Dubai, a fact they knew to be false,” the charge sheet states .
Further, March 5, 2021, he allegedly obtained another consignment of Tanzanite minerals from Mututua under false pretenses. The charge sheet states that they fraudulently acquired 230.483 carats of Tanzanite, valued at USD 71,883 (approximately Ksh7.9 million), from the Ministry of Mining offices in Nairobi, again claiming they could sell them in Dubai.
Defense lawyer Denis Seko pleaded with the court to release his client on reasonable bond terms.
Magistrate Carolyne Nyaguthii ordered each accused to be released on a bond of Ksh5 million or a cash bail of Ksh2 million.
The case is scheduled for mention on April 15, 2025, for further directions.
