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Pilot linked to Sh39 billion fake arms deal freed on police bond

By Amina Wako March 16th, 2020 2 min read

Kenyan pilot who was arrested after being linked to the fake Sh39 billion fake military equipment scandal has been released on a police bond.

Subow Mohamed Ahmed is expected in court on Monday to answer to charges related to the mega scam that also roped in former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa.

According to sources privy to the investigation, the pilot told detectives that he has been in India attending to his ailing father who is undergoing medical treatment at a hospital there.

He further reportedly admitted to knowing Echesa and revealed that he had accompanied the former CS to Poland where they inspected equipment from an arms supplier.

Ahmed is believed to be the son of a Kenyan ambassador in posted to a Middle Eastern country who, however, denied any knowledge of the fake arms deal.

Nairobi News has learnt that the pilot at a local aviation company went to Poland to test the air force elements of the military equipment allegedly as a representative of the government.

Ahmed appeared in a photo that featured six people — including Echesa, an unidentified Kenyan man and three caucasian men — in a room that resembles a firearms warehouse, with two military drones on the floor.

After their visit to Poland, Ahmed did not fly back to Kenya, until Saturday when he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport following a stop order.

The arrest comes after DCI boss George Kinoti said anyone linked to the fake arms scandal would be interrogated.

The two foreigners, identified as Mustafa Mamdough and Stanley Kozlowoski, claim to be the directors of American company Eco Advanced Technologies said they had been conned by a dubious ring led by Echesa.

Mamdough and Kozlowoski told detectives that the politcian and the other accused were accompanied by a man who was conversant with aviation matters during their visit to Poland.

Ahmed was also questioned about the late Sgt Kipyegon Kenei, a police officer who was on duty when Echesa, his accomplices and the two foreigners visited Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annexe office.

Police arrested the former CS on February 13 and arraigned him for fraud on February 17, alongside Daniel Otieno Omondi alias General Juma, Clifford Okoth Onyango alias Paul and Kennedy Oyoo Mboya.

The charges preferred against them include conspiracy to commit a felony, making a document without authority, obtaining money by false pretense and attempt to commit a felony.

According to the prosecution, the accused defrauded Kozilowski and Stanley Bruno of Sh11.5 million, which was part of a down payment for the fake deal.