Main suspect in Sh13.1m fake gold scam arrested

On Wednesday, May 8, sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) apprehended the main suspect in a Sh13.1 million fake gold scam, in Busia.

The Congolese national identified as Puati Poba Dally, aged 35, was arrested for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian businessman of Sh13.1 million (USD 100,000) in a raw gold deal.

Immigration authorities detained the suspect based on a stop order issued in September 2023, following accusations of fraud against his client from Ghana.

According to DCI, the suspect met the victim, a gold dealer, in a Ghanaian hotel under the guise of going by "Osuman" from Nigeria. He claimed to be in Ghana for business while residing in Uganda.

The victim, interested in the gold trade, was promised connections with Ugandan dealers. To facilitate the deal, the Ghanaian gold merchant flew to Uganda on August 1, 2023, where he was introduced to individuals identified as Ben and Hassan.

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In the process of arranging the transaction, the businessman paid Sh10.7 million for documentation, non-criminality certification, melting, and taxation processes for one kilogram of gold.

Subsequently, he boarded a flight bound for the UAE on August 9, expecting to pay an additional Sh4 million per kilogram upon the delivery of the gold in Dubai. However, upon his return to Uganda on August 13 to check on his gold, he discovered it had been erroneously flown through customs in Kenya.

On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi to investigate, the businessman encountered the suspect [Dally’s] accomplices, only known as Daniel and Lucy, who extorted an additional Sh4.3m from him for tax clearance.

The fraudsters then assured the Ghanaian of safe delivery to Dubai, arranging for him to board a flight with a purported flight attendant guarding his gold.

Upon realising the deception during take-off, the victim raised the alarm, alerting officers who assisted him in filing a statement.

The main suspect was nabbed while attempting to enter Kenya through the Busia border yesterday.