‘Fake gold’ gold probe has zero public interest so spare Kenyans distractions over private business deal

A lot has been said since the revelation that a Kenyan or Kenyans were involved in a gold delivery deal with the Sheikh of Dubai, including the Director of Public Prosecutions leering a probe into the ‘fake gold scam’.



Media has splashed all manner of headlines, as we always do, while politicians have used the story as fodder against their opponents, the public has enjoyed good banter and discussed theories some of which are like a living reality from the movies.



We have been told of presidential fury following a meeting in Dubai where the Sheikh was angry with the Head of State over government detaining his multi-billion gold cargo in route to the United Arab Emirates from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s intervention has also been sought and a senior politician’s alleged phone call is doing rounds.



Business deal between two individuals



This wagging of tongues on a matter as private as this that demonstrates how easy it is for Kenyans to get distracted with non-issues. If there was a a non-issue in this country, at least according to what we know so far, then it is this one.



Kenyans should be thinking about other things, not this one of a business deal between two individuals – a Kenyan hustler on one end and a filthy rich Sheikh on the other end of the table.



Zaheer Jhanda PHOTO/COURTESY



The DPP and DCI have more relevant matters to probe and should be as deaf and blind to this ‘fake gold’ matter as Pharaoh was to the silent voice to release the innocent Messiah before Jesus was crucified. There is no public interest in this matter, unless there is more than we have been told so far.



Due process of justice



It does not matter who the Sheikh approached over this matter and regardless of the ‘diplomatic’ strain there maybe in the offing there is no evidence of such so far, whichever parlance one would suggest to apply.



The president is right to be furious if indeed the gold cargo had been detained at JKIA but the moment his government agencies denied existence of such consignment, the story should have ended there and the Sheikh advised to seek due process of justice through the known criminal justice system.



Zaheer Jhanda is being ‘typically Kenyan’ as he perhaps buys his time to honour his end of the business deal. There may have been a delay or for some reason he was unable to get the shipment across to Dubai for reasons best known to him and whoever his suppliers maybe.



Zaheer is a politician, a good one for that matter, one who can a close second in the parliamentary race for Nyaribari Chache constituency. He has earned himself a Kisii name and is touted as the next MP and future governor so he is a smart fellow, you cannot take that away from a man who can convince a man at the level of a rich Sheikh that he can deliver 4.6 tonnes of gold.



Keeping the country busy



The only nexus for DCI and ODPP to be involved in this would be if indeed the gold was impounded and may have disappeared as we are kept busy with the narrative of ‘fake gold’.



Otherwise, what must happen is for Zaheer and his client to sort out their private matter and Kenyans would only be if the matter was reported as a complaint through the relevant channels for such dispute, if there is any, to be dealt with.



After all, don’t we all know how names are thrown all over the place when people want to seal deals as a marker for trust? Zaheer never lied about him being close to the who is who, going by the pictures that are awash in social media.



He just needed that to seal the deal so the right thing for him to do now is to save Kenyans the sideshows and deliver on his bargain to the Sheikh without involving poor Kenyans. He can come later and live in flamboyance.



But who knows, this being Kenya, the narrative may have been crafted to keep the country busy as something major is taking place. Only time will tell.



PHOTO/COURTESY