Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Monday presented its last witness in the ongoing hearing of a suit seeking recovery of 100 acres of Chale Island in Kwale County.
The island, which is a government land gazetted as a Marine Reserve and Sacred Groove, is valued at Sh1 billion.
The land was allegedly subdivided and transferred to private developers in collusion with Kwale land officials.
The anti-graft body is seeking to have all title deeds held by the defendants declared invalid, null and void and the land reverted to the Government for public benefit.
Justice Addraya Dena of the Kwale Environment and Land Court set the hearing for four days from Monday to Thursday, September 29.
In the case, EACC has sued Nine defendants Swahili Beach Resorts Limited, Kwale District Land Registrar, Manmohan Kaur Kalsi and Hashim Got Sat.
Others are Settlement Fund Trustee, David Ndirangu Mwangi, Mohamed Omari Mbogah, Mohamed Hamisi Mwasengeza and Halima Mohamed.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Museums of Kenya have been listed as Interested Parties in the suits.
The Court has since granted orders sought by EACC prohibiting the defendants from transferring, felling trees or charging the land pending hearing and determination of the case.
The court heard that in transferring gazetted land to private individuals, the Kwale District Registrar acted in a fraudulent manner and committed various illegalities.
"For instance, while taking advantage a legitimate Government intention to settle squatters in Kinondo Chale Settlement Scheme, the Registrar hived off a portion of land reserved for use as a public utility and irregularly transferred the same to private persons," EACC said.
The island was reserved for the settlement of squatters as an extension of Kinondo Chale Settlement Scheme, where its members had already been settled on the mainland.
