NAIROBI: Like a Hollywood heist, Abdul Razak Rehan, Mohammed Amin Suleiman, and Ebrahim Ahmed Ebrahim found themselves before the Milimani Law Courts, accused of masterminding a fraudulent scheme that swindled a Pakistani national out of a jaw-dropping Sh116 million.

The trio’s audacious plot revolved around a bogus scrap metal and car battery business, which they dangled as a golden opportunity to their unsuspecting victim.

Enticed by promises of lucrative deals, the victim traveled to Kenya, only to be met by a web of deceit.

Ebrahim Ahmed Ebrahim, playing the role of a business advisor, convinced the victim to register a company, demanding Sh7 million for the process.

Enter Mohammed Amin Suleiman and Abdul Razak Rehan, posing as an accountant at the registrar of companies and a personal assistant to the Deputy President, respectively. The victim, none the wiser, handed over the cash.

But the con didn’t stop there. The victim was strung along with demands for additional payments—warehouse rent, scrap metal and battery purchases, KRA customs duties, and special permits—until the total reached a staggering Sh116 million.

The intricate scheme began to unravel when investigators, following a paper trail of financial transactions and forged documents, discovered that none of the so-called “permits” had come from legitimate government offices.

A manhunt ensued, with detectives tracing the suspects’ geo-locations and movements.

The trio, once confident in their elaborate ruse, was eventually cornered and arrested.

Arraigned in the Milimani Law Courts, the three pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Despite the gravity of their alleged crimes, they were granted a bond of Sh5 million each with one surety.

The case is set for mention on September 9, 2024.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing all criminal cases.