Three politicians in multi-million gold scam probe

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing three politicians including a second-term senator from Western Kenya, a first time MP from Trans Nzoia and a flashy businessman who unsuccessfully contested for a parliamentary seat in Kisii region.

The three are considered persons of interest in a multi-million shillings gold scam to rip off the United Arab Emirates royal family, a scandal that is now threatening relations between Nairobi and Dubai.

Sources have confirmed to Citizen TV that the businessman Zaheer Jhanda was the Kenyan link to the royal family promising to sell them at least 23 tonnes of gold.

However, immediately after striking the deal, the businessman activated his networks with a claim that tonnes of gold had been seized at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Rattled by this development, the royal family dispatched its representative Ali Zandi to follow up the matter. Zandi phoned his only known contact in Kenya; a senior senator from Western Kenya with links to foreign affairs to salvage the consignment.

And here the monkey business begun that would see the impersonation of Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to make things look good and credible. All this while, Mr. Ali Zandi was being asked for kickbacks to facilitate the release of the consignment.

Mr Zandi remained in Kenya for nearly a month only being taken round in circles as the gold cartel ring pocketed hundreds of millions of shillings.

The scam now has Kenya and the United Arab Emirates at cross purposes with claims of Dubai having blacklisted a cabinet secretary for being linked to the ring.

On Tuesday, 15 suspects arrested on Monday in connection to the supposed gold were detained for a week to allow police to conclude their probe.

This as the DCI profiled the senator, the first-time MP from Trans Nzoia region and the flashy businessman as persons of interest in the multi-million scandal.

The three are being probed for their involvement in conning the royal UAE family.