High Court advocate Alphonce Collins Odoyo Osewe was on Thursday arraigned before the Milimani Chief Magistrate's Court over an alleged Sh69 million gold fraud after detectives arrested him on a warrant issued following his failure to appear in court to answer the charges.
He pleaded not guilty to obtaining money by false pretences and was remanded in custody pending the determination of his bail application.
Osewe was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Nairobi Regional Office within the Milimani Law Courts precincts. According to the DCI, the warrant of arrest had been issued after the advocate failed to honour court summons requiring him to take plea in the case.
Investigators allege that Osewe, together with an accomplice, fraudulently obtained Sh69,024,800 from a complainant by claiming they were in a position to sell gold bars.
"The suspect, Alphonce Collins Odoyo Osewe, was arrested by detectives from the DCI Nairobi Regional Office within the precincts of the Milimani Law Courts pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued after he failed to honour court summons." The DCI said in a statement.
The advocate has been charged with obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
According to investigators, "he jointly obtained Sh69,024,800 from a complainant by falsely pretending that he and an accomplice were in a position to sell gold bars."
The case dates back to 2025, when the suspect failed to appear before the Chief Magistrate's Court at Milimani to take plea.
"The warrant of arrest was issued after the suspect failed to appear before the Chief Magistrate's Court at Milimani on October 23, 2025, to take plea, leading to the forfeiture of the cash bail previously deposited."
Following his arrest, Osewe was presented before the Chief Magistrate's Court, where he formally responded to the charge.
He pleaded not guilty to obtaining money by false pretences.
The court subsequently directed that he remain in custody pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
The prosecution is expected to oppose or respond to the bail application before the court determines whether the advocate will be released pending trial.
The case is among several investigations involving alleged fake gold transactions that have been brought before Kenyan courts in recent years, with authorities continuing efforts to crack down on fraud targeting local and foreign investors.
The criminal proceedings against Osewe will continue before the Milimani Chief Magistrate's Court as the prosecution seeks to prove the allegations against him, while the accused remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in accordance with the law.