Humphrey Mulindi Muthahana and Steve Ochieng Odhiambo pleaded not guilty on Thursday, April 3, 2025, to charges of conspiracy to defraud Emily Silaton Mututua, the director of Milestone Gemstone Kenya Limited, of Tanzanite minerals.
The two appeared before the Milimani Magistrate Court, where they were accused of falsely claiming they could sell Tanzanite minerals in Dubai, despite knowing this to be untrue.
According to the prosecution, between February 3, 2021, and March 5, 2021, the accused conspired to defraud Mututua of Tanzanite minerals weighing 687.283 carats, valued at USD 203,436 (approximately Ksh22.3 million), in violation of Section 317 of the Penal Code.
In a second charge, the court heard that on February 5, 2021, at the Ministry of Mining offices in Nairobi, the suspects fraudulently obtained Tanzanite minerals weighing 456.8 carats, worth USD 147,553 (approximately Ksh16.2 million), from Mututua under the pretense that they would sell them in Dubai.
“Mulindi and Ochieng obtained Tanzanite minerals weighing 456.8 carats, valued at USD 147,553, from Emily Silaton Mututua, falsely claiming they would sell them in Dubai, a fact they knew to be false,” part of the charge sheet read.
Additionally, on March 5, 2021, the accused allegedly obtained another consignment of Tanzanite minerals from Mututua under false pretenses. The charge sheet states that they fraudulently acquired 230.483 carats of Tanzanite, valued at USD 71,883 (approximately Ksh7.9 million), from the Ministry of Mining offices in Nairobi, again claiming they could sell them in Dubai.
Defense lawyer Denis Seko urged the court to grant his clients reasonable bond terms.
Milimani Law Courts Magistrate Carolyne Nyaguthii ordered each accused to be released on a bond of Ksh5 million or a cash bail of Ksh2 million.
The case is scheduled for mention on April 15, 2025, for further directions.
