By Peter John
A Nairobi court has acquitted businessman Abass Badru Omuyoma, also known as Yuri Sande Ismael, of fraud charges linked to an alleged gold transaction worth Ksh8.1 million.
In a judgment delivered at the Milimani Law Courts, Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki ruled that the prosecution had failed to meet the legal threshold required to secure a conviction.
The court found that the evidence presented did not sufficiently prove the accusations against the businessman beyond reasonable doubt.
Badru had been facing charges of obtaining money by false pretences.
Prosecutors alleged that on August 11, 2021, he unlawfully obtained Ksh8.1 million from Canadian investor Yvan De Coninck by falsely claiming he could sell him 15 kilograms of gold.
However, after evaluating the testimonies and material placed before the court, Magistrate Ondieki concluded that the prosecution’s case was weak and unsupported by adequate proof.
“The prosecution did not adduce sufficient evidence to establish the offence as charged,” the magistrate ruled, bringing the long-running case to a close.
The acquittal marks the end of the criminal proceedings against the businessman, who had consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial.
