6 held three days as police investigate fake gold racket

Some of the six people arrested in Kilimani, Nairobi, for having fake gold nuggets, at a Milimani court on April 16, 2019. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The six are Ms Grace Wairimu Machatha, Mr Erascos Katiku, Mr Niyitegeka Sevelin, Mr Dushimirimana Egide, Mr Jacques Zilimwabagabu and Mr Emmanuel Ngaragura.
  • The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported their arrests on Monday evening, saying more than 50 kilograms of the nuggets and gold export documents were seized in a raid in Kilimani, Nairobi.

A Nairobi court has allowed police to detain six suspects for three days as they complete investigations into a fake gold racket.

The six are Ms Grace Wairimu Machatha, Mr Erascos Katiku, Mr Niyitegeka Sevelin, Mr Dushimirimana Egide, Mr Jacques Zilimwabagabu and Mr Emmanuel Ngaragura.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported their arrests on Monday evening, saying more than 50 kilograms of the nuggets and gold export documents were seized in a raid in Kilimani, Nairobi.

Before Milimani Resident Magistrate Muthoni Nzibe, police on Tuesday requested that the six be detained for 10 days for them to finish the probe.

Investigating officer Alfa Ochieng explained in an affidavit that police raided a house on Lenana Road in Kilimani after being alerted by members of the public.

As such, he said, they needed to contact witnesses and people who may have been defrauded by the suspects.

Mr Ochieng also noted that officers needed more time to question the six and that they were likely to arrest more suspects.

He also told the court that they needed to visit immigration officers to establish whether Mr Sevelin, Mr Egide, Mr Zilimwabagabu and Mr Ngaragura - all Rwandans - were in the country legally.

Mr Ochieng added that the suspects were flight risks and that they were likely to interfere with investigations.