Officer alleges death threats in Sh3.2b gold scam case

Jean Emmanuel Morlon aka Larmaca Benjamin aka Jon Imanol Sapieha Candela aka El Sapo. [Courtesy] A police officer investigating a case involving a foreigner and some 550 kilos of gold valued at Sh3.2 billion has told the court that he had received death threats from a number registered in Spain. Sergeant Thomas Othoo stated that a message was sent to his number, instructing him, along with fellow investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to drop charges against Jean Emmanuel Morlon. Morlon also goes by the aliases Larmaca Benjamin, Jon Imanol Sapieha Candela, and El Sapo. Othoo said that the message was also sent to Chief Inspector Ann Kinyua, his immediate supervisor. "We formally request that you, Mr Klaus and Mr Tomas (police) withdraw all charges against Jon so that he can sort himself out this year in Kenya and then leave the country to be with us," reads part of the message. He testified that the message went on to say that it was important for them to comply with what it wanted since Morlon's lawyer, Wandugi Karathe, wanted to file a complaint against the DCI officers. "Jon will not take legal action against you if he is released before this Sunday. We are an international entity that works with all governments. I look forward to your prompt response," part of the message reads. According to Othoo, the number is registered in Spain to an organization known as GOA tactical. "That, by my role as an investigating officer in the case herein, I am automatically a prosecution witness in the case and I strongly believe that, the sender is well known to the accused herein and may have received instruction from the accuse to issue such threats to the investigating team, which conduct offense the provisions of the Witness Protection Act, CAP 79 Laws of Kenya," he said in his affidavit. The officer said that it is not the first time that witnesses in the case have received threats. He cited an earlier affidavit where he opposed the release of Morlon on bail, saying that Didier Guillaume Gentil, one of the complainants, had been poisoned while in Switzerland. Gentil was in the country to keep watch over his wife and child after they were allegedly threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw the case. The threats were allegedly relayed to him with the sender saying that he would sexually assault his wife and child if the case was not withdrawn. Morlon's lawyer, Karathe, while cross-examining Othoo, said that the threats had not been directed to him, and he had not tabled any evidence linking the sender to his client. Karathe went on to say that the move to introduce Othoo's affidavit was so that Morlon could continue being held in custody. He made an application to have his client's identification documents and car released while seeking to have him be taken to the Aga Khan or Nairobi hospitals for specialized treatment over an undisclosed illness at his cost. The application was opposed by Paul Rono for the state, who said that the car and identification documents could not be freed since the investigation was still ongoing. She said that the illness that the accused was suffering from could be treated at a government facility since there was no evidence attached to show that public hospitals could not handle it. The court was told that he holds Spanish, French and United Arab Emirates passports. Morlon was charged on February 24, 2025, with 15 counts related to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, forgery and obtaining by false pretence through his company Afrex Bridge Connections Limited. Morlon is accused of taking some 120,000 USD (Sh16 million) between January 20 and 21, 2025, from Mercuri Ferdinando and Gentil to charter a plane to move the gold from Nairobi to Dubai. He is accused of possessing without a firearm certificate and that he was found with a magazine, a loader and 94 rounds of ammunition when he was arrested at his Ol Pejeta residence. DCI officers also allegedly recovered three rounds of ammunition from his house along Riverside Drive and 14 smoke grenades from his Riverside Drive residence. He is also facing five charges related to making a forged document, a mineral dealer's processing certificate, in the name of Rhino John Prime Metal International Limited and forgery. He is also accused of purporting that the certificate had been signed by former Mining Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and former Mining Director at the ministry Engineer Ngigi Colin and purporting that it had been sealed by the High Court. Morlon denied all 15 charges, and the matter is up for ruling on April 24.

Officer alleges death threats in Sh3.2b gold scam case

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Officer alleges death threats in Sh3.2b gold scam case

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS