Forgery case against ex-MP deferred after exposure to Covid-19

A forgery case against Former Tetu MP Ndung’u Gethenji has been deferred after his lawyer told a court he had been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

Gethenji, who was to plead to the forgery charges on Monday, failed to show up in court and instead sent his lawyer Ishmael Nyaribo.

Nyaribo told the court that after being arrested on Friday last week, he was granted police cash bail pending charges to be made on Monday.

He said Gethenji later came into contact with a person who has Covid-19.

“Gethenji has been exposed to a Covid-19 situation. He is in isolation and is taking temporary measures. He is willing to abide by the DPPs directions”, the court was told. 

The lawyer requested that the court give directions on when the matter will be mentioned for plea taking.

The prosecution did not oppose the application and asked the court to allow Gethenji two weeks in isolation, after which he should appear in court on December 1 for plea taking.

According to the charge sheet, Gethenji, with intent to deceive,  forged minutes of a meeting held by Kihingo Village (Waridi Gardens) Management One Limited.

He is accused of committing the offence on November 21, 2018 in Nairobi.

Milimani chief magistrate Martha Mutuku allowed the application and directed that the police cash bail given to Gethenji remain in force until December 1.

Gethenji and his family were the original developers of Kihingo Village, but he fell out with his brothers Gitahi and Bob over control of the Sh20 billion estate.

He claimed to control the estate through '60B' shares held by a company he created in 2010.

However, on November 2, Justice David Majanja ruled that there were no 'B' shares and endorsed a residents' meeting in April 2019 that removed Gethenji as chairman of the management company.

Kihingo Village in Kitisuru consists of 55 houses, with owners each having one share in the management company, a club house and social amenities.