Elderly Tanzanian woman in trouble after ‘friend’ used her in Sh12 million fraud

A 66-year-old Tanzanian woman who was allegedly lured into a fraud deal by a friend where they conned a businessman of KSh720,000 (Sh12 million) promising to sell him gold has been charged with obtaining the money by false pretences.

Ms Rwiza Hawa is accused of defrauding Adan Gudade of the money on August 15 and 16 pretending she could sell him gold. She is accused of committing the offence jointly with others at large.

Ms Hawa is facing an additional charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, where she is accused of colluding with others to defraud the complainant.

She allegedly told police during the investigations that she only received KSh20,000 from the friend who had requested that they use her mobile phone to con the businessman, but her friend stopped picking her calls after they executed the deal.

Earlier this month, Mr Gudade met Ms Hawa’s accomplice, who claimed to be dealing with camel milk. The accomplice later claimed to be in the land buying business and continued communication with the complainant.

The suspected fraudster later told Mr Gudade that he knew an old Tanzanian woman who was selling gold.

Mr Gudade was taken to Aga Khan Hospital in Parklands, Nairobi, where he met Ms Hawa.

Ms Hawa had allegedly been instructed by her alleged accomplice to go to the hospital and pretend that her husband was admitted there in critical condition and that was the reason she wanted to sell the purported gold. The complainant believed the story and sent KSh20,000 to Ms Hawa.

They later returned to Donholm together where Mr Gudade outsourced KSh700,000 which he gave to the accomplice but was not given any gold and the suspects went underground thereafter.

He reported the matter at the Buru Buru police station and Ms Hawa was traced and arrested.

According to court filings, Ms Hawa told the police that she was present when her accomplice received the KSh700,000 from Mr Gudade and the man only gave her KSh20,000 as they parted ways, and told her that they would talk later. But he thereafter terminated communication and she has been unable trace him.

She denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Gerald Mutiso of Makadara Law Courts and sought lenient bail and bond terms through an advocate.

She was released on a bond of KSh700, 000 with a Kenyan surety of a similar amount.

The suspect was also ordered to deposit her passport with the court.

The case will be mentioned on September 7 for pre-trial.