The entrance of Barclays Bank of Kenya Queensway Branch in Nairobi. The bank has been thrust into the spotlight again after a suspected fake gold trader was arrested at the Queensway branch, Nairobi, as he reportedly was in the process of defrauding a Briton.
Barclays Bank has been thrust in the spotlight again after a suspected fake gold trader was arrested at Queensway branch, Nairobi, as he reportedly was in the process of defrauding a Briton. Mr Benjamin Onyango Oguok was arraigned for obtaining Sh2 million from Mr Sam Kazal by pretending he could sell him three kilogrammes of gold. He denied the charge and was freed on a Sh500,000 cash bail.
The arrest came three weeks after the DCI impounded fake gold and counterfeit dollars valued at Sh2 billion in a safe-deposit box at the same bank. Four people are in court over the matter. In his statement to the police, Mr Kazal says it is the Barclays Bank Queensway branch manager who convinced him to pay Mr Oguok.
SIX METAL BARS
According to the statement, which has been attached to the case that will be heard on May 13, Mr Kazal identifies himself as the director of Edge Group Ltd, Dubai. The company, he says, deals in gold and precious stones. Mr Kazal says he travelled to Kenya on March 13 to look for gold suppliers.
PARTNERS
He was accompanied by his partners — Mohammed Ali Chambati (Kenyan) and two Belarusians, Dzianis Kanonchyk and Ihar Siamashka. Later on March 29, he met Mr Oguok, who he had been referred to by a friend as a possible supplier, and who claimed he had three kilogrammes of gold. The statement says Mr Oguok showed Mr Kazal nuggets of a metallic substance. The nuggets were smelted in the presence of Mr Kazal, made into six bars of half a kilogramme each and given to the Briton. They were later tested and found to be gold. Mr Kazal said he believed the remaining three kilogrammes were gold and bought them.
Source: Daily Nation