BY SAM ALFAN.
A Congolese businessman has been charged with defrauding Chinese company Sh156 million by pretending he was in position to sell Tantalum noibium ore(Tantalite).
Ulundu Patrick Lumumba Alias Gabriel Kulonda Alias Lumumba Patrick Byarufu appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Benard Ochoi and denied the charges.
Prosecution told that on 26th day of December 2023 in Kenya, jointly with others not before court with intent to defraud obtained USD one million equivalent to Sh 156,000,000 from Yingchen(Shenzenhen] International trade Company Limited.
Court heard he obtained the millions by falsely pretending you were in a position to sell to the Company 84 metric tonnes of tantalum niobium ore[tantalite] ferried in container numbers a fact you knew to be false.
He is further accused that on diverse dates between 7th day of August and 26th day of December 2023 in Kenya, jointly with others not before court conspired to defraud the said 156 million from Yingchen[shenzenhen) International trade company limited.
He will remain in police custody pending ruling on bail on Monday next week.
According to Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ulundu was cornered along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi, minutes after evading detection by Immigration officials at JKIA where a Stop Order had been placed on his passport.
DCI revealed that the suspect used a Ugandan Interstate pass card in the names of Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, and upon arrest was also found in possession of yet another Congolese Passport.
“In the case he is implicated, a female Chinese national lost Sh151 million to the suspect’s machinations after one of three containers declared to contain tantalum minerals was opened in China, only to be found loaded with drums of sand, triggering investigations at the port of Mombasa, the transit route,” DCI said on their X social media page.
