A Nairobi court has ordered the fraud case involving Congolese national Lumumba Ulundu Patrick, also known as Gabriel Kulonda Ilungu, to resume on November 25. The case, in which Lumumba is charged with conspiring to defraud Sh129 million, could not proceed as scheduled due to the complainant’s absence. Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego issued the directive following an application by Senior State Prosecutor Herbert Sonye for more time to locate the complainant, who is currently in China.
Lumumba is accused of deceiving Yingchen International Trade Company Limited by falsely claiming he could supply 84 metric tonnes of Titanium Niobium ore (Tantalite), a valuable mineral used in electronics. Instead, the company received containers filled with soil. The alleged offenses occurred between August and December 2023.
The Congolese national was arrested in April 2024 after attempting to seek help regarding the freezing of his bank accounts. His arrest followed the interception of the fraudulent consignment at the Mombasa Port in January 2024, where police discovered the containers loaded with soil rather than the promised minerals.
The case has drawn connections to broader scams involving fake gold and minerals in Nairobi, with police warning foreigners to be cautious about too-good-to-be-true deals. Investigations are ongoing as detectives work to uncover the full extent of the operation.
