Michael Otieno Owano, a Nairobi advocate and owner of a law firm, has been arrested on charges of defrauding a Canadian investor out of over $600,000 (roughly Sh79.9 million) in a gold scam involving 250 kilogrammes of gold that never arrived. Michael Otieno Owano’s involvement has raised significant concerns within the legal community.
After obtaining a pro forma invoice from EAI Logistics, the investor allegedly transferred $318,400 (roughly Sh42.4 million) into Owano’s law firm account at Otieno M.O. Law Advocates, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Understanding the Case Against Michael Otieno Owano
Authorities believe that Michael Otieno Owano had orchestrated a network that misled foreign investors.
Subsequently, the victim was asked to transfer an additional $300,000 (Sh39.9 million) to the syndicate-controlled Tether cryptocurrency, which is mostly utilised for online transactions. Despite payment, no gold was ever shipped.
Victims of the scam, including the Canadian investor, were reportedly misled by Michael Otieno Owano’s assurances regarding the gold’s delivery.
“We have stepped up our efforts to combat transnational gold fraud syndicates that use sophisticated fake gold schemes to defraud foreign investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the DCI said in a statement. Francis Talla Ouafo, a Cameroonian national thought to be the scam’s mastermind, was previously detained before No’s arrest.
The first arraignment of Ouafo took place at the Milimani Chief Magistrate on July 31, 2025. In this context, the accused director of SwiftTaxis Logistics Ltd, Kelvin Otieno Onyango, also known as Kevo Sonko, was arrested for his role in the fraud.
In the fraudulent gold deal, which was negotiated in Onyango’s office, the complainant allegedly transferred $140,000, or about Sh18.6 million, into an escrow account, according to the estimators.
All suspects are being held while the investigation is ongoing.
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