Nairobi businessman in court for attempting to defraud Jimi Wanjigi Sh500 million city land
A Nairobi businessman has been accused of forging a title deed of an Sh500 million upmarket property belonging to former presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi.
Samuel Njuguna Chege, 53, whom the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) says pretended to be a director of Horizon Hills Limited, was charged alongside nine others who did not appear before Milimani chief magistrate Susan Shitubi.
Meanwhile, Ms Shitubi issued a warrant of arrest against those who did not appear in court to answer 24 counts of land fraud charges filed against them by the DPP.
The ones whom police have been directed to arrest are David Njenga Samson Kuria, Henry Njoroge Njenga, Antony Masengo Anabaka, Cissy Kalunde Musembi, Valentine Jelimo kibire, Lawrence Njogu Mungai, Kepha Odhiambo Okongo and Martin Esakina Papa.
However, Ms Shitubi spared land Registrar namely Jacob Owino the warrant of arrest as she was informed by defence lawyer Paddy Cheloti that she fell sick while in police custody and then rushed to Nairobi Hospital for urgent medication.
“May I inform this court that accused number 6, Jacob Owino fell ill while in police custody and was taken to Nairobi Hospital for urgent treatment,” Cheloti told Ms Shitubi.
Cheloti told the magistrate that the accused suffered a sudden attack and collapsed while in police cells forcing the law enforcers to dash her to Nairobi Hospital.
“I have shared the condition of my client, accused number 6 with Gikunda and that she will turn up in court to answer charges filed against her immediately she is discharged from Nairobi Hospital,” Cheloti stated.
The magistrate was also informed that the other eight accused persons had been informed by police to turn up in court to plead to the 24 counts but failed.
Chege who did not have a lawyer singularly turned up in court to face justice.
He applied to be released on bond pending the determination of the present case and another pending at the High Court.
Gikunda said the case against Chege will be consolidated with another scheduled hearing for next month.
But the magistrate did not free Chege on bond but directed ‘he remains in custody awaiting a pre-bail report and also to enable Shitubi to interact and acquaint herself with the proceedings in the earlier file’.
Chege denied 17 counts filed against him and the co-directors of Horizon Hills Limited.
Chege, Kuria, Njenga,Anabaka and Kalunde are accused of deceiving that Velji Premachand Dodhia and Himanshu Velji Premachand Dodhia had sold and transferred the Wanjigi land for a consideration of Sh33,600,000 to Horizon Hills Limited (HHL).
Chege, Kuria, Njenga and Valentine Jelimo Kibire have been charged with lodging a misleading statement at the Registrar of Companies pausing that Samson, Njenga, Kuria and Chege are directors of HHL.
The five allegedly committed the offence on April 5, 2018.
Jelimo has been accused of computer forgery by intentionally deleting and suppressing computer in respect to the directors of HHL.
Chege faces other charges of procuring the registration of a parcel of land situate along General Mathenge Road within Nairobi County in his name and others.
The case will be mentioned on April 27, 2023 for directions.
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