The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday March 24,2025 requested a Nairobi court to grant a 10-day custodial order to further probe allegations of fraud against Philip William Knight, the manager of Sunshine Minerals Canada Limited.
Knight, an American citizen, was arrested on March 22, 2025, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport following a stop order issued by the government over allegations of fraud.
Appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina, the DCI stated it is investigating claims that Knight swindled his fellow American, Casey Drew Cain, out of a staggering $357,300 through fraudulent business ventures.
Represented in court by Advocate Geoffrey Nyakundi, Cain said he filed a formal complaint, alleging that Knight lured him with promises of lucrative investment opportunities, which turned out to be fraudulent.
The allegations date back to 2024 when Knight initially convinced Cain to invest $25,000 in what he promised would be a high-return business venture.
According to the DCI, Knight continued to manipulate Cain’s trust, presenting him with additional fake investment opportunities.
These included a charity organization scheme with promises of managerial roles and returns ten times the original investment. Knight’s fraudulent tactics escalated, leading to more transfers from Cain, totaling over $350,000.
In one instance, on September 27, 2024, Knight allegedly convinced Cain to invest another $25,000, which was followed by a request for an additional $16,300 on October 3, 2024, for another business venture.
These ventures, which Knight presented through his companies, Hallo Global Project Management Ltd and Sunshine Minerals Canada Ltd, were eventually proven to be entirely bogus.
As investigations progressed, it became clear that Knight had also defrauded Cain by convincing him to fund a supposed recurring export contract, leading to a further $525,000 in payments.
In total, the DCI claims Knight fraudulently extracted over $350,000 from Cain through a series of deceitful business schemes.
The DCI now seeks an additional 10 days to conclude their investigations before submitting the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for further perusal and directions.
He was detained in police cells until March 25, 2025 when the court will rule on the DCI’s request for the custodial order.
