Japanese businessman sues lawyer in Sh79m gold scam

Lawyer Joel Kimutai Bosek. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Asano Tatsunori, a resident of Tokyo, accuses lawyer Joel Kimutai Bosek whom he retained in the gold trade of professional negligence.
  • Tatsunori and his World Gateway Japan Company Limited had agreed to buy gold from a Kenyan firm — Customs Cargo Handlers in 2017.

A Japanese businessman has sued a Kenyan lawyer for working with local dealers to defraud him Sh79.2 million in a fake gold scheme.

Asano Tatsunori, a resident of Tokyo, accuses lawyer Joel Kimutai Bosek whom he retained in the gold trade of professional negligence.

Tatsunori and his World Gateway Japan Company Limited had agreed to buy gold from a Kenyan firm — Customs Cargo Handlers in 2017.

Mr Tatsunori and World Gateway Japan Company Ltd has sued the lawyer and is asking the High Court award him $729,980 (Sh72.98 million) in special damages.

The Japanese businessman accuses Mr Bosek of colluding with the local gold dealers whom he was also acting for “to defraud him $722,080 (Sh72.08 million) in the fake gold racket.”

He accuses the lawyer of failing to execute the duties of collateral manager for Tatsunori.

Lawyer Ben Nzakyo filed the suit. In the evidence, Tatsunori discloses that in February 2017, a Mr Allan Collins Ilunga alias Collins Abuba Amungwa introduced him to a Kenyan firm — Customs Cargo Handlers — which allegedly dealt with import and export of gold.

Mr Tatsunori claims he paid Mr Bosek for Sh5,498,000 in legal fees and Sh67.5 million for the gold via the law firm.