Director of Criminal Investigation George Kinoti together with other DCI officers on Monday night flew to Dubai in order to record statements from the representative of the United Arab Emirates’ ruler on a multi-million gold scam that is currently taking Kenya by storm.
The group will interrogate Ali Zandi, a representative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who has also been mentioned in the scandal.
Zandi also represents the Zlivia Company, a gold trading company based in Dubai. Its missing gold is reported to have been seized at JKIA in transit from the DRC to Dubai.
Zandi conducts business on behalf of Sheik Maktoum and has been in Kenya several times to follow up on his cargo, having paid millions of shilling for a first consignment.
Maktoum complained to President Uhuru Kenyatta that his gold had been seized and detained at JKIA for months on its way to Dubai from DR Congo. When the President investigated, he learned that there was no such gold and ordered the crackdown on those involved.
The investigators have stepped up their work after Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji ordered Inspector General Hillary Mutyiambai to investigate reports that a group of Kenyans may have conned Al Maktoum out of millions of shillings.
The DPP had threatened that anyone found guilty will be handed over to United Arab Emirates authorities. Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula who is in the middle of the scandal has already flown to Dubai in a move aimed at evading the hot debate in the country.
The police have until Wednesday next week to hand over their findings to Haji.
While in Dubai, the investigators will try to obtain all possible evidence that may include audio, documents, pictures and video footage to help convict those involved.
Once they have the statement from Zandi, the police will summon those mentioned to record their own statements before charges are drawn up and possible arrests made.
Leaked audio put Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula at the heart of the fake gold scandal, making the Ford Kenya leader a person of interest.