Politician Detained For 14 Days In Ksh.24M Gold, Mercury Scam
On Thursday, a court in Mombasa detained a politician and businessman from Turkana County who is involved in a gold and mercury scam for Ksh.24 million.
The detention will last for 14 days till the investigations are completed.
Simon Ekai Ewoi, the defendant, was presented before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo and formally accused with acquiring a sum of Ksh.24,263,780 by deceptive means within the context of the minerals trade.
“Ekai Ewoi was arraigned before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo to face four counts of obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the penal code,” read a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
According to the ODPP, the accused and his accomplices engaged in fraudulent activities by obtaining the aforementioned amount from four complainants under the guise of being partners in the gold and mercury trade.
However, Ekoi entered a plea of not guilty to all charges brought against him.
The trial magistrate, in his ruling, mandated the detention of the accused for a duration of 14 days at the Central Police Station, with the purpose of facilitating the completion of detectives’ investigations.
“The court directed that he be produced in court on 8th April 2024, where he would be released on a Ksh.7 million bond with a surety of similar amount and two guarantors with clear details of their residences,” stated the ODPP.
The court granted police a two-day period to initiate charges against the businessman earlier this week, citing the absence of legitimate grounds for the ongoing detention of the defendant, who has been in jail since his apprehension on March 25, 2024.
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Politician Detained For 14 Days In Ksh.24M Gold, Mercury Scam
