NAIROBI, Kenya — A Congolese national has been convicted over a fraudulent tantalum minerals scheme that defrauded a Chinese investor of Sh151 million, marking a major victory for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a high-profile economic crime case.
The Milimani Law Courts convicted Lumumba Ulundu Patrick, also known as Gabriel Kulonda and Lumumba Patrick, of obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
The court sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment or, in the alternative, a fine of Sh10 million. It also ordered him to refund the victim the full Sh151 million lost through the fraud.
Elaborate mineral scam
According to the ODPP, prosecutors proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lumumba orchestrated an elaborate scheme in which containers purportedly carrying tantalum—a valuable mineral used in manufacturing electronic components—were instead filled with sand.
The deception was uncovered after one of the containers was opened overseas, where authorities discovered drums containing sand rather than the declared mineral.
The fraudulent consignment resulted in substantial financial losses to the Chinese investor.
Arrest and investigation
Evidence presented before the court showed that Lumumba was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) Operations Support Unit (OSU) on April 5, 2024, shortly after arriving in Nairobi from Entebbe, Uganda.
Investigators established that he allegedly attempted to re-enter Kenya using alternative identification documents and multiple aliases despite a stop order having been placed on one of his travel documents.
The prosecution argued that the conduct demonstrated an attempt to evade law enforcement while investigations into the fraud were ongoing.
Prosecution success
The case was prosecuted by State Counsel Sonia Njoki, Hillary Isiaho and James Murage, who successfully secured both the conviction and compensation orders.
The ruling underscores the Judiciary’s role in combating economic crimes and protecting investors from fraudulent commercial schemes.