A Nairobi court has charged four individuals — including a foreign national from the Central African Republic — with allegedly defrauding a Chinese businesswoman of KSh15.3 million in a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading scheme.
The accused — Jesus Godoua Imendji, Judith Mbatha Nzioka, Jackson Apollo Ananda, and Alvin Oduya Atieno — appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Caroline Mugo, where they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecution Consolidates Charges
The four were charged afresh after the prosecution consolidated earlier counts against them to reflect a unified case. Prosecutors allege that the accused conspired with other accomplices, who are still at large, to defraud Tuyishime Grace, a Chinese national, on April 30, 2025, at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi County.
According to the charge sheet, the suspects fraudulently obtained 116,000 USDT (Tether) — a cryptocurrency equivalent to KSh15,360,000 — by falsely pretending that they were in a position to assist the complainant in trading on the Binance platform.
How the Fraud Was Orchestrated
Sources familiar with the case told investigators that the accused lured the investor with promises of secure and profitable cryptocurrency trades. They allegedly claimed to have insider knowledge and guaranteed high returns through a private Binance trading account.
The victim transferred the funds to a wallet address provided by the suspects, believing it to be part of a legitimate investment process. However, soon after the transaction, the digital assets were allegedly transferred through multiple wallets, making recovery difficult.
When the complainant demanded proof of investment returns, the suspects reportedly became evasive and eventually went incommunicado — prompting her to file a report at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters.
Court Proceedings and Defence
During the arraignment, the prosecution requested the court to deny the accused lenient bail terms, citing the significant amount involved and the fact that one of the suspects is a foreign national who might flee the country.
However, defence lawyers argued that their clients are law-abiding citizens who have cooperated with investigators throughout the process. They requested reasonable bail, noting that none of the accused had prior criminal records.
Magistrate Caroline Mugo granted each accused a bond of KSh 2 million with one surety of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of KSh 500,000. She also ordered them to surrender their travel documents pending the hearing of the case.
DCI Investigations Continue
Detectives from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit (ECCU) of the DCI are reportedly tracking several cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to the fraud. The agency is working with Interpol and local crypto-monitoring experts to trace the flow of funds.
A DCI officer familiar with the case said investigators are also pursuing additional suspects believed to have acted as intermediaries or “crypto handlers” in laundering the stolen assets.
Growing Crypto-Related Fraud in Kenya
The case underscores the rising trend of cryptocurrency-related fraud in Kenya, where scammers exploit the lack of regulatory oversight and the growing interest in digital assets. Law enforcement agencies have warned investors to verify the legitimacy of all crypto brokers and platforms before committing funds.
Next Court Mention
The case will be mentioned on November 18, 2025, for pre-trial directions as the prosecution continues to file evidence and prepare witness statements.