By Andrew Kariuki
A suspect linked to an alleged elaborate fraud scheme involving over USD 394,000 has been arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts, as police intensify efforts to trace three other accomplices believed to be on the run.
Abdinoor Sharmake Mohamed was charged with conspiracy to defraud and providing false information to a person employed in public office, in a case investigators say was part of a calculated attempt to extort a businessman through fabricated claims.
According to investigators, the case dates back to 2023 when Mohamed, together with three others identified as Muna Dahir Dalmar, Salma Osman Gureye and Shamis Warsame Osman, reported to Pangani Police Station claiming they had been defrauded USD 394,209 by a businessman.
The group alleged that in 2022 they had handed over the money in cash as an investment into a joint cargo business under a company known as African Express Cargo.
They further claimed that after receiving the funds, the businessman became evasive, failed to commence the agreed business operations, and eventually fled the country.
To support their claims, the suspects presented what they described as an acknowledgement of debt dated May 2, 2023, allegedly signed by the businessman in the presence of an advocate.
However, the matter took a dramatic turn after detectives from Starehe took over investigations.
The businessman, who had been profiled as the primary suspect, was eventually arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in March 2025.
Upon his arrest, he disputed the allegations and instead claimed that he had been abducted by individuals posing as police officers.
He alleged that he was unlawfully detained, his passport confiscated and that he was forced under duress to sign the purported debt agreement.
The businessman further claimed that he was compelled to pay USD 17,000 to secure his release and the return of his passport and an additional USD 30,000 under threats of deportation.
These claims prompted a fresh and detailed investigation that ultimately discredited the initial report made to police.
Detectives established that the allegations made at Pangani Police Station had been fabricated.
Investigations revealed that the businessman was not in Kenya at the time the alleged fraud was said to have taken place.
Further, records showed that none of the accused persons were present at the Nairobi hotel where the transaction was allegedly conducted.
Authorities also found no evidence to support the claim that any cash exchange had occurred between the parties, casting serious doubt on the authenticity of the alleged business arrangement and the debt acknowledgement.
Following the findings, the case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which concluded that the initial complaint amounted to the deliberate provision of false information to public officers.
Prosecutors believe the alleged scheme was designed to extort money from the businessman and manipulate the criminal justice system.
Abdinoor Sharmake Mohamed was subsequently traced, arrested and charged in Makadara Chief Magistrate’s Criminal Case No. E1091 of 2026.
Meanwhile, his three alleged accomplices remain at large, with police continuing efforts to locate and arrest them.
Authorities have described the case as a sophisticated attempt to misuse law enforcement processes for personal gain, warning that investigations remain ongoing to bring all those involved to justice.
