By Dorothy Musyoka
The prime suspect behind a sophisticated Sh100 million sugar importation fraud was on 9th April 2025, arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts
Abdirizak Kassim Bare, 46, is accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that swindled four businesspersons out of over Sh100 million.
The funds, intended for the importation of 15,000 bags of Brazilian sugar, were allegedly siphoned through a network of five bank accounts controlled by a criminal syndicate.
According to investigators, the elaborate scam was executed between May and October 2023.
During this period, the victims were drawn into a business deal that promised lucrative returns, only to discover they had fallen prey to a well-coordinated fraud ring.
“The investigation established how between May and October 2023, the unsuspecting victims were lured into a business deal to import the sugar, thereby making payments totalling to over a hundred million shillings through five different bank accounts,” stated the DCI.
Efforts to track down the perpetrators led nowhere, as the suspects disappeared without a trace.
According to the detectives, frustrated and financially devastated, the victims reported the matter to the DCI.
A probe launched by the Operation Support Unit revealed the intricate workings of the fraud, leading to the submission of a comprehensive case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP).
Following review, the ODPP approved the arrest and prosecution of the suspects, with Kassim Bare facing eight counts, including obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on a Sh3 million bond or a Sh500,000 cash bail.
The DCI has confirmed that the hunt for the remaining suspects continues, with multiple arrest warrants already issued.