Four chama officials charged in Sh944m land fraud case

Four officials Sowesava self-help group were on Friday charged afresh before a Nairobi court in a Sh944 million land fraud case in Donholm Estate. 

The four, former Kayole chief Alexander Hoops, Patrobas Awino, Peter Gitau and Peter Njoroge, are accused of forging a title, a lease and an allotment letter.

The Director of Public Prosecutions through state Counsel Anderson Gikunda told Milimani chief magistrate Martha Mutuku that the charge sheet against the four was ready after the High court thwarted an attempt by Awino to stop their prosecution.

In the first count, they are accused of  intent to defraud Gidjoy Investment Ltd of 11.8 acres in Donholm and making a false allotment letter purporting it to be genuine and issued by a lands administration officer jointly with others not before court on unknown dates.

The disputed land is the formerly Nairobi /block 82/7333 now part of the amalgamation of other parcels valued at Sh944 million.

They also face a second count of forging a lease purportedly signed by  Rosemary Ngong'a , a land registrar, on unknown dates within the country.

They further face a third count of forging a title with intent to defraud Gidjoy investment Ltd purporting it was issued by Ngong'a.

The court also heard that the four forged a lease document purportedly signed and stamped by Ng'arua Kamuya, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

The suspects further allegedly conspired to defraud Gidjoy Investments Limited by falsely pretending they had a genuine title dated November 28, 2001 issued and signed by Ngong’a.

They denied the charges and through lawyer Emily Nyongesa, asked for lenient bond terms.

The prosecution, however, insisted that same bond terms given to Peter Gitau and Peter Njoroge who were charged in 2019 be retained.

Nyongesa also asked for witness statements from the prosecution.

Chief magistrate Mutuku released them on a cash bail of Sh1 million or a bond of Sh2 million each.

Mutuku told Hoops and Awino that they will have remain in custody until their bond terms are processed.

The matter will be mentioned on August 19, 2021 for pretrial directions.

Last month a constitutional court threw out an application by Awino, ruling that he was using the case to stall the prosecution of the multimillion fraud case.