Four arrested trying to sell a Nakuru MP Sh6.5m 'gold'

KENYA: Four suspects were yesterday arrested in Nakuru town for attempting to con an MP of Sh6.5 million.

According to detectives, the suspects made a telephone call to Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama on Thursday, pretending to be in possession of gold and inquired if he was interested in buying it.

Speaking outside Nakuru Directorate of Criminal Investigation Offices (DCIO), the MP said he got concerned and tipped the police over the deal, who laid a trap to arrest the suspects.
"The first caller identified himself as a Congo-based Asian businessman dealing in gold.  Initially, I ignored the call but after he persisted, I decided to involve the police," said Mr Arama.

The suspects were identified as Thomas Chiviriri, Geoffrey Kipkoech, Francis Chege and Jeremiah Wangubo.

The legislator said the caller later informed him that he had dispatched a team to Nakuru from Congo with the precious metal. The ring leader was to take a flight to Kenya on Saturday and promised to join them yesterday in Nakuru. Police said the con men used a Congo-based telephone line. Yesterday, the team called the MP to inform him they had arrived.

The MP said the second group telephoned him and threatened to sell the metal if he was no longer interested with it.

"They really persisted and I had to send one of them Sh5,000 through M-Pesa, pretending that I was out of town. I instructed them to use the cash for accommodation," said the MP. But on Saturday while in the company of the MP, the detectives stormed a hotel, where three suspects were arrested. The suspected ring leader was traced to a nearby hotel as he waited for the cash to be surrendered.

"His partners already in our custody lied to him they had already received Sh1.5 million down payment and were on their way to the hotel. He was then found in the hotel drinking a soda," said DCIO officer Henry Kiambati.

Mr Kiambati said a syringe, bicycle bearings disguised as gold, five mobile phones and a weighing machine were recovered from the suspects.