This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 18, 2019, a court in Kigali, Rwanda, handed down a two-year prison sentence and a Sh325,400 fine to Charles Kinuthia, a Kenyan national, for defrauding hundreds of Rwandans through a fake wealth conference.
According to court records, Kinuthia and his co-accused posed as motivational speakers, promising participants 'free money' at a 'wealth conference' held at the Kigali Convention Centre in May.
However, when over 5,000 people arrived at the centre, they were left stranded after no speakers turned up. Instead, they were asked to pay $5, $15, or $25 each, with some people paying a total of Rwf4.1 million (Sh463,000) and $680 (Sh68,000).
Prosecutors accused Kinuthia and his co-accused of sending an email promising over 1,000 people $197 (Sh19,700) in free money for attending the conference.
During the pretrial hearing, Kinuthia's lawyer, Evode Kayitare, claimed that the $197 was not promised money but a 'value bonus' consisting of access to an online course that attendees would be given at the end of the course.
However, the court rejected this claim, stating that Kinuthia had accepted that he was the one who sent messages inviting people to attend the conference, and that the messages were confusing and intended to get money from the interested people.
The court also denied Kinuthia a suspended penalty, citing his failure to show remorse for the allegations against him.
Kinuthia's co-accused, Vivian Khisa Mukhwana, Rachel Matipei, and Mohamed Niyonkuru, were acquitted by the court, with the judge ruling that the evidence provided by the prosecution was insufficient to show their involvement in the scam.
