THE chief magistrate court in Kiambu has ordered a financial bank in Ongata Rongai to release land title documents to CID headquarters for investigations.
Land fraud investigation police unit from CID headquarters went to the courts to be granted a warrant to investigate an alleged land fraud case involving former members of the 2,800 acre Keekonyokie Community Trust land.
It is alleged that a former chair of the Keekonyokie trust land in Kibiku area of Ngong, Moses Parantai and others had attempted to curve out 200 acres of the land along with some “powerful” people in government and sell it to Nairobi City Council last year at a cost of Sh900 million.
The current market price of land in Kibiku, according to land transaction experts is Sh30 million. It is now clear that the former officials were in a hurry to dispose of the land which would have been sold at prevailing market price of Sh6 billion.
The warrant acquired from the court in Kiambu is dated January 1, 2014 and has authorised CPL Sylvester Mango of Land Fraud investigation unit (CID headquarters) to investigate the land’s account number 0610261866235.
The court also issued warrant to the investigators to collect account opening documents, bank statements from its inception to date and the deposited original title deed Ref. LR.12418-IR.6464.
Parantai, the former chair of the Keekonyokie trust land, yesterday said those who reported the alleged fraud are imposters and are not the bonafide elected officials. “We have nothing to hide and the police are free to carry out their investigations,” Parantai said.
But when the police arrived at the Ongata Rongai Equity Bank, they were shocked that Parantai had two days earlier withdrawn the trust land title.
According to the documents availed to the Star, the bank’s manager said the trust had applied for the withdrawal of the title on December 30 last year but inside sources said Parantai applied on January 11.
Those claiming to be the rightful officials led by chair, Moses Masek ole Monik, member Solomon Supaya and a land rights activist Hammilton Parseina went to the National Land Commission to present their newly elected officials only to find Parantai and other people had already filled their details. It was after that incident that the registrar of lands in conjunction with the commission contacted the police.
On launching their investigations, NW Ettyang, on behalf of the director of criminal investigation, wrote to the land commission on December 28, last year.
Ettyang requested the commission to furnish him with certified copies of documents in the Keekonyokie trust land correspondence file, receipt of payment for rent or stamp duty where applicable and documents launching any transfer.