A former Land Registrar on Friday was ordered to pay a Sh12.5 million fine or spend seven years in jail for fraudulently disposing of public land in Kisumu.
The Anti-Corruption Court in Kisumu convicted Remigius Ngaany Watieri of illegally selling Sh6 million public property 11 years ago.
He was sentenced by Kisumu chief magistrate Julius Ngarngar.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission began investigations in April 2009, following a complaint against the accused who was then Kisumu District Land Registrar.
Wattieri was subsequently charged with fraudulent disposal of public property violating the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
The magistrate said the evidence presented by the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Watieri was guilty of illegal transfer of the public property owned by the now-defunct Kisumu Municipal Council.
The court ordered that the ownership of the land reverts back to the government.
The Municipal Council of Kisumu bought the land which was meant to house industrialists from the government in 1965.
Watieri denied that between November 6 and 10, 2008, he jointly with others before court conspired to commit an offence of corruption by fraudulently disposing of public property in Kisumu county.
Edited by R.Wamochie
