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Nairobi county employee charged with defrauding businesswoman of Sh2.3m


A Nairobi county employee has been charged with obtaining more than Sh2.3million from an unsuspecting businesswomen in order to sell them market stalls at the yet to be opened New Wakulima Market along Kangundo Road within Nairobi County two years ago.

Antony Kimathi Kuria was arraigned before Nairobi Milimani Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Ms Zainab Abdalla facing five criminal counts last Friday over the alleged racket.

FALSE PRETENCES

Kuria denied that he obtained money through false pretences, making fake booking receipts for the new market stalls, making clearance receipts for the stalls and making Ownership Cards and Allocation Cards for the modern market.

In the charges filed before court by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), through a prosecuting counsel Mr Peter Muia, Kuria was accused of defrauding Spence Diana Lumumba Sh2,228,000 alleging he would sell to her Market Stalls at the NWM along Kangundo Road.

Mr Muia told the magistrate, Kuria knew he was not in a position to sell any of the stalls in the yet to be opened market which is still undergoing construction.

Kuria allegedly obtained the money from the complainant on diverse dates between September and December 2018 within Nairobi.

FAKE RECEIPTS

Besides Lumumba, Kuria was also charged with obtaining Sh150,000 from Abigael Cherono with a promise to sell to her market stalls at the New Wakulima Market.

The suspect is also facing charges of making fake booking receipts numbers NCC/NWM/GRD/WA036 and making fake clearance receipts numbers 057,073,093 and 098.

The accused applied to be released on bond. The prosecutor did not oppose the bail plea but asked the court to consider the colossal amount of money the accused had obtained from the unsuspecting members of public.

Ms Abdallah ordered the accused to deposit a cash bail of Sh700,000 or deposit a bond of Sh1million with one surety of similar amount.

Mr Muia said the state will avail witness statements to the accused to prepare his defence. A pre-trial will be conducted in a fortnight’s time.