Written by Were Kelly
Nairobi, Kenya — A fraud suspect accused of conning an Eastleigh businessman out of electronic goods worth Sh618,000 has been ordered to remain in custody as the court reviews his bail application.
Ahmed Ali Mohamed, the accused, was remanded at the Nairobi Area Remand and Allocation Prison in Industrial Area after pleading not guilty to the charge of obtaining goods by false pretenses.
According to the prosecution, Mohamed allegedly acquired the electronics from Ahmed Abdi Hassan between June 15 and July 15, 2024, under the pretense that he would pay for them after reselling to his customers.
The transaction reportedly took place around Garissa Lodge in Eastleigh, Kamukunji Sub County.
The charge, filed under Section 313 of the Penal Code, accuses Mohamed of knowingly making false promises with no intention of paying for the goods—a strategy prosecutors describe as part of a broader pattern of deceit.
Mohamed allegedly assured the complainant that payment would be made within a month.
However, after the agreed period passed, he began evading Hassan, triggering suspicion and eventually leading to the complaint.
In a sworn affidavit submitted at the Makadara Law Courts, Corporal Hillary Kisoi of Pangani Police Station opposed the granting of bail, citing threats and intimidation allegedly orchestrated by the accused.
Kisoi claimed that Mohamed threatened the complainant after being asked for payment and that on March 28, 2025, he organized an attack on the victim’s business using members of the outlawed Superpower gang.
“The attackers, armed with pangas, arrived at the premises while the complainant was absent and left behind a warning to cease following up on the matter or face consequences,” Kisoi stated in court documents.
Further, the affidavit alleged that the accused failed to honor police summons by the Officer in Charge of Crime at Pangani Police Station and was later arrested in possession of a motor vehicle—registration number KDR 795W—believed to be a proceed of crime, a charge under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Defense counsel Pharis Mbugua challenged the credibility of these allegations, arguing that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had already dismissed the alleged gang threat for lack of sufficient evidence.
He noted that the ODPP only recommended charging Mohamed with fraud, not intimidation or gang-related offences.
Mbugua further criticized the lack of evidence connecting the accused to the vehicle claimed to be a criminal asset, and offered that Mohamed was willing to surrender his passport and comply with any court conditions to secure his release on bail.
However, Kisoi also informed the court that Mohamed had recently booked an international flight to São Paulo, Brazil, via Istanbul, Turkey—raising concerns that he may attempt to flee the country if released.
Senior Principal Magistrate Joseph Karanja is expected to rule on the bail application on Thursday.
