While appearing at Milimani Law Court on 8th April 2026, Austin Omondi, who is accused of defrauding a foreign national of USD 52,500 in a case involving alleged false pretences and money laundering, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena, Omondi faced three counts: obtaining goods by false pretences, acquisition of proceeds of crime, and money laundering.
According to the charge sheet, the offences were allegedly committed between November 15 and December 6, 2021, within the Republic of Kenya.
The prosecution claims that Omondi, trading under Afriki Merchants Limited, obtained USD 52,500 from Kyrgyzstan national Kanatbek Uulu Emir, by falsely claiming he was in a position to supply 15,000 kilograms of cashew nuts an assertion investigators say he knew to be untrue.
According to the court documents seen by kauntinews.com, the accused allegedly received the funds through a local bank account and engaged in transactions intended to conceal the origin and movement of the money, forming the basis of the money laundering charge under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2009.
During the bail application, the defence lawyer urged the court to grant lenient cash bail, arguing that his client had cooperated fully with investigators.
He told the court that Omondi had faithfully honoured summons by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), was willing to comply with all court directions, and posed no flight risk.
“My lady, the accused person will be praying for lenient bail and bond terms. He is willing and able to comply with all the court directions. This matter has been in investigation for quite some time. He has been requested to appear before the DCI several times, for which he has attended.
My lady, the accused person has attended all the attendances he has been requested to attend concerning this case. It shows that he is willing to comply with the rules of this court and ensure that this matter comes to conclusion,” Stated the lawyer.
On the other hand, the prosecution did not oppose the release of the accused on bail but requested that the court impose terms commensurate with the seriousness of the charges.
In her ruling, the presiding magistrate granted the accused a bond of KSH 2 million, with an alternative cash bail of KSH 1 million.
The matter is scheduled for mention on April 22, 2026, and the hearing is set for April 28, 2026. The accused remains bound by the bail conditions as the case proceeds to full hearing.
