Cryptocurrency Fraud at Nairobi Hotel: Three Detained
Upon trading, the complainant lost the whole amount which resulted in the commotion within the hotel.
Two foreigners and a Kenyan have been detained in police custody for interrogation after allegedly defrauding a Rwandese national Ksh 15.5 million in cryptocurrency trading business.
Tuyishime Grace, a Rwandese national is alleged to have lost the said money through online trading which occurred in Serena Hotel within Nairobi County on April 30, 2025.
The matter was reported by Elizabeth Njeri on behalf of the hotel together with the complainant who had checked in at Serena Hotel.
While praying the orders for detention, Beth Kariuki a DCI officer attached at Central Police station and who arrived at the scene urged the Milimani senior principal magistrate Dolphina Alego to grant her 14 days to have Gondua Imendji Jesus, Liao Jinxiang, and Jidith Mbatha in custody for interrogation and prefer relevant charges against them.
The gist of the matter was that a commotion was heard emanating from Hotel room No. 221 belonging to the Rwandese prompting the security to respond to know what was going on. The housekeeper of the Hotel met Liao shouting that money had been stolen from Tuyishime.
The security called police from the Central Police Station to intervene.
Kariuki told the court that after arrival at the scene, they established that the respondents had defrauded Tuyishime a total of Ksh 15,520,560,
“We understood that was a police case and proceeded to arrest them but before departure, the Hotel insisted Gondua and Liao clear their bills,” Kariuki said.
Gondua’s bill had accumulated to Ksh 118,842 from February 26 to April 30, 2025, and that of Liao to Ksh 82,886 from April 27 to 30, 2025. The two became adamant and refused to clear the hotel bills.
The court heard that Tuyishime, the Rwandese reported that on April 26, 2025, was induced by Liao to travel to Kenya where she would be introduced into the business of cryptocurrency.
“She arrived on April 29, 2025, where she met the three respondents who introduced her into the currency trading business,” Kariuki said.
Upon trading, the complainant lost the whole amount which resulted in the commotion within the hotel.
The officer sought two weeks to hold the respondents to confirm the immigration status of Gondua and Liao and take their fingerprints.
She also wants to obtain relevant documents that are authorized to open a cryptocurrency account and trail the two wallet accounts.
She further indicated that the respondents are a flight risk and their places of abode are not known hence releasing them at this stage will hinder investigations.
The court allowed the application and detained them at Central Police Station until May 19, 2025, when the matter will be mentioned for further directions.
