Cameronian, Niger to serve seven years in jail

Two foreigners will serve seven years behind bars and thereafter be repatriated, a court has ordered.

Mohammed Sani, a Cameroonian, and Ousman Ibrahim from Niger were charged with several offences before a magistrate’s court in Nairobi. They faced nine counts which were categorised into two sets by the court.

The first set of offences related to being found in possession of counterfeit currency and equipment to make counterfeit currency. They were also accused of forgery.

In the second category of offences, the two were charged with obtaining money by false pretences. They were accused of attempting to defraud Omar Hussein Abdisalaam of Sh26 million between October 1, 2015 and January 15, 2016 in Nairobi County by pretending that they had put millions of US dollars in a briefcase at De La Rue Global Lab Company.

Ibrahim was further charged with being in the country unlawfully.

Sani, on the other hand, was charged with engaging in employment without a work permit. He allegedly engaged in employment as a director of Zabram Construction Company Limited between December 3, 2015 and January 14, 2016.

After full trial, they were convicted of eight counts. In respect of the forgery charges, each of them was sentenced to serve seven years imprisonment on each count. The sentences will run concurrently.

In respect of obtaining money by false pretences charges, they were each sentenced to serve one year in jail.

In respect of the charges relating to breach of Immigration Act, Ibrahim was ordered to pay a fine of Sh100,000 for each count or serve six months in prison.

The court further ordered that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations destroy all the counterfeits that were recovered together with the implements and chemicals.