Nyanza Politician Arrested Fleeing to Kisumu

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Saturday, October 7, 2023 –A Nyanza politician who participated in the last year’s general election has been arrested at the airport over fake Gold business.

The middle-aged politician vied for the Nyakach Constituency Parliamentary seat in the 2022 General Election but lost.

He was arrested on Friday October 6 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport JKIA while boarding a flight to Kisumu.

Mr. Jonathan Okoth Opande is accused of conning two Thai nationals of more than sh 100 million in a fake gold deal.

Detectives acting on a well-laid down tip, managed to arrest the suspect, before raiding a house in Lavington, Nairobi, that Opande had converted into a lavish office and recovered fake gold bars, pellets, and a makeshift smelting machine.

A source said, Opande, who was handcuffed, followed the sleuths as they broke into different rooms in his bungalow.

The police also seized various documents, including mining licences from the Ministry of Mining and business permits from Nairobi County. They also found company seals and Kenya Revenue Authority KRA export seals.

To make the scam look authentic, the fraudsters used dust coats branded with the Ministry of Mining logo.

Our sources also reported that, at the back of the main house, there was a structure where the smelting process took place.

The police impounded the equipment used to melt metals, mostly brass, and polish them to look like gold bars and pellets. In one corner of the compound, there was a store where metal boxes with export and import stickers were found.

Opande is alleged to have duped Thai nationals Kitvisit Songsri and Nutsaphol Songsri who work for Thai Lion Gold Limited into paying sh 100 million in exchange for fake gold.

In court, he denied the allegations and said that his company, Abisai Global Limited, was legitimate and had a good business history.

Detectives said that investigations into the sh 100 million gold scam started in February this year, after the victims reported the matter to the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi.

Since then, he has been evading all the police traps until today when the sleuth cornered him at the airport.

“He was ejected from a Kisumu-bound flight yesterday afternoon by hawk-eyed detectives who had gotten wind of his last-minute travel itinerary.

“The suspect has been engaging detectives in cat and mouse games and is wanted in connection to a case where he defrauded two Thai nationals over Ksh13 million in a fake gold deal,” DCI detailed in its report.

Mr. Opande, who has been living a wealth-man’s lifestyle, will remain in custody until Monday when he will be arraigned in a Nairobi court.