A Kenya businessman Abdulrahman Imraan Juma was the force behind wire fraud committed by Nigerian influencer Ramon Abass, alias Hushpuppi.
Hushpuppi was recently found guilty of defrauding at least Ksh2.5 billion around the globe in a syndicate that the Kenyan national engineered.
Court documents show that Juma was the master planner and used the Nigerian influencer to execute his scheme.
Juma hatched the whole idea in Nairobi before pitching it to Hushpuppi who gladly accepted the deal.
Hushpuppi embraced the scheme and went on to recruit Nigerian Deputy Commissioner of Police Alhaji Kyari.
Juma was indicted in the US over the same offense where he committed wire fraud of Ksh100 million.
The Kenyan national was indicted alongside Kelly Chibuzo, Rukayat Motunray, and Bolatito Tawakalitu who are part of his network.
They were found guilty of defrauding a Qatar investor. The Qatari businessman was looking for a financier to build a school in Doha. He hired a financial advisor who stumbled on a company in Upper Hill Nairobi owned by Juma.
“On November 12, 2019, the Financial Adviser and the victim traveled to Kenya to meet in person with Juma,” an FBI agent stated in a filed affidavit.
“During the meeting, the victim signed a contract with the company. The contract stated that the victim was responsible for paying a “consultancy fee” of Ksh24 million through the law firm Okatch and partners which was located in Kenya.”
The FBI adds that it is during the Kenyan meeting that Juma alongside his partners was busted and charges were opened in the US.
On Friday, lawyer Donald B Kipkorir explained that he was once approached by the syndicate to do business for them but he declined.
He said that Juma approached him through an associate but he declined. He could be facing charges in the US as well for wire fraud if he gave in.