Nakuru East MP David Gikaria has been arrested over a land fraud-related case.
Gikaria was arrested on Monday at noon and taken to Nakuru DCI for questioning.
“We have been investigating this land fraud case for sometimes now. We arrested him a few minutes to 1 pm and all the files are ready for the court process to start,”
Regional DCI boss Gideon Kibunjia said.
Kibunjia said
the land in question is 0.5 acres with one complainant.
“The owner’s fence was demolished and there is a house being constructed, however, we do not want to pre-empt, let the judicial process take its course,” Kibunjia said.
Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama with the arrested MP’s supporters condemned the arrest saying the case had been framed by Gikaria's political enemies.
“The land in question is owned by Gikaria’s mother. The title which was acquitted in 2000 reads the MP’s mother. This case cannot withstand the court process.
He is being harassed by being told he cannot be given a cash bail nor a free bond,” Arama claimed.
Gikaria was later on Monday arraigned before a Nakuru court and charged with land fraud.
Appearing Principle Magistrate Bernard Mararo, Gikaria was charged with eight founts including forging land documents and grabbing parcels of land.
He allegedly committed the offence on diverse dates between August 28 and December 18, 2007, within Nakuru county.
He was charged alongside others, not before the court with allegedly
manipulating entries of dates in the green cards of eight blocks of land and fraudulently replacing the names of seven residents with other people purporting to have been entered by the lands registrar.
He faced seven counts of land grabbing with particulars of the charge sheet indicate that the MP had on diverse dates between September 28 and December 18, 2007, unlawfully held possession of parcels of land belonging to seven individuals within Nakuru municipality.
Gikaria denied all the charges and
plead with the court grant lenient bond terms.
Through his lawyer, the MP told the court that the charges are politically instigated.
The State through the prosecution, however, said the Directorate of Public Prosecutions office cannot be influenced to frame charges on any individual.
He was freed
on a personal bond of Sh3 million with a surety of similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh1 million.
The case will be mentioned on January 30.