DPP wants Sh1.6bn Moi land case stopped
Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko wants a magistrate to terminate a case against four traders pending determination by the High court on who is the true owner of the land in Embakasi, Nairobi.
The land was allegedly bought from retired president Daniel arap Moi by a businessman Jaswin Singh Rai for Sh25million.
Mr Tobiko, through state counsels Mr Duncan Ondimu and Mr Patrick Gumo, urged chief magistrate Teresia Murigi to “put in abeyance” the trial of Mr Mohammed Koriow Nur, Mr Simon Kiprono Laboso, Mr Macdonald Lijoodi Makaka and Mr Noor Mohammed Hassan awaiting the outcome of a High Court case on the 16 acres of land worth Sh1.6billion.
“Police recommended in 2004 that Mr Rai be charged with forgery of the title to the land,” Mr Ondimu told Ms Murigi.
He said investigations had indicated the four traders own the land after it was legally allocated to them in 1988.
But defence lawyers Kamau Karori, William Arusei and Innocent Muganda opposed the application to terminate the case saying; “the person who should be prosecuted over the forgery is Mr Rai since police say the title deed he holds is a forgery.”