This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
Published on September 13, 2019, a court application by businessman Jared Otieno has sparked a controversy over the seizure of his properties during his arrest earlier this year.
Mr. Otieno, along with his co-accused Philip Oroko and Ricky Ochieng, was charged with conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretences, and preparing to commit a felony.
The charges stem from an alleged fake gold syndicate that obtained Sh300 million from Mr. Southorn Chanthavong, a director of Simuong Group Company, by pretending to sell him genuine gold.
Mr. Otieno and his co-accused have denied the charges and were released on different cash bails ranging between Sh1.5 million and Sh.500,000.
However, in a certificate of urgency application, the accused have listed items such as furniture, electrical and kitchen appliances that they claim were seized during the raid at their office on Kaputei Road in Kaputei Gardens, Nairobi, in May this year.
They argue that the seized items are not subject to the ongoing trial and should therefore be released back to them.
