In the wake of increased con game both in Kenya and Nigeria, con artists are devising new methods to dupe their victims onto thinking that they do legitimate business.
The case was no different in an incidence where Nigerian scammer Ramon Abass alias Hushpuppi and his Kenyan counterpart Abdulrahman Imraan Juma, alias Abdul conned a Qatar businessperson at least Ksh120 million in a series of transactions.
The two among others had promised to secure a Ksh1.6 billion loan for him from Kenya, with the Ksh120 million being the amount they received to process and clear taxes for the loan.
Juma claimed to own a company in Kenya Westload Financial Solutions that would provide the loan, while Hushpuppi pretended to be “Malik,” a banker at Wells Fargo in the United States, who was purportedly facilitating the loan payment.
One of the methods they used to make the transaction look legal was the use of a law firm, “Okatch & Partners,” which was one of the companies that received funds sent by the Qatari Victim Company.
According to revelations by Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) special agent Andrew John Innocenti, between December 6 and 7, 2019, the Victim Businessperson wired approximately $150,000 (Ksh16.3 million) to Okatch in four transactions.
While signing the contract for the loan, the contract stated that the Victim Businessperson was responsible for paying a “consultancy fee” of $225,000 (Ksh24 million) through the law firm Okatch & Partners, which was located in Kenya.
The payment was to be made in two installments—an initial payment of $157,500 (Ksh17 million) and a second payment for $67,500 (Ksh7 million). Westload also provided two initial invoices; one for $157,500 (Ksh17 million) for the first installment and another for $6,900 (Ksh7.5 million), for purported legal and initial engagement fees.
This is not the first time the law firm, owned by lawyer Duncan Okatch, who was recently accused of assaulting lawyer Silas Chepkeres Jakakimba after allegedly taking the latter’s wife.
In the assault case that happened at The Riara School, it is alleged that Okatch had previously served Jakakimba with a non-existent court order, pointing out to more fraud.
“Mr Duncan Okatch, Advocate, used social media platforms to publicly urge me to comply with a non-existent Court order. The sad bit is that after Okatch failed to execute his unwelcome move, he went physical on me, fist-punching me severally on my face, causing instant soft tissue injuries to the temporal and orbital regions of my left eye. He did this in full glare of everyone, including the school principal – my son Jakakimba Jr holding to my right hand,” said Jakakimba in a Facebook post.
According to Jakakimba, the lawyer was trying to force himself to attend a private meeting both parents were to have with the school principal, Mrs Naomi Mbugua.
The case was reported at Kilimani Police Station under OB No. 44/12/05/2021.
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