An American citizen who is alleged to have defrauded a fellow citizen over Sh 40 M has been detained for three days by the court to allow police complete investigations.
Phillip William Knight is being detained on allegations of obtaining money through false pretenses.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina granted police until March 27, 2025 to hold Knight who is the manager of Sunshine Minerals Canada Ltd.
Police suspect that Knight defrauded another American citizen Casey Drew Cain off USD 357,300 by promising profitable business opportunities that never materialized.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had requested a 10-day detention period to complete their probe, but Knight opposed the application, claiming he was in the process of negotiating an out-of-court settlement with the complainant.
Knight was apprehended on March 22, 2025, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport following a stop order issued by the Kenyan government.
His arrest followed a complaint by Cain who accused Knight of luring him into fraudulent investment deals.
While granting the three-day detention, Magistrate Onyina directed that if the prosecution fails to press charges within that period, Knight should be released on a cash bail of Ksh 1 million..