The land fraud case against Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi is expected to resume today after the Milimani court in October adjourned the matter to allow all accused persons to appear in court.
Koimburi and his co-accused, Shelmith Karunguri Maina, are facing charges of conspiring to defraud a landowner of a parcel of land valued at about Sh10 million in Juja, Kiambu County.
They are accused, alongside lawyer Gathii Irungu, of unlawfully obtaining registration of the land, Ruiru East/Juja East Block 2/36, belonging to Julius Gitonga Githinji.
The prosecution alleges that the three forged ownership documents to transfer the property, leading to their arraignment earlier this year.
Both Koimburi and Karunguri have since denied the charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 each. Their co-accused, Irungu, is yet to take a plea.
During the last court appearance on October 22, Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ondieki was informed that one of the accused was unwell and seeking medical attention, while the third accused, Gathii Irungu, was still in the United States.
The defence undertook to provide medical documentation for both absences.
The prosecution confirmed to the court that witness statements and evidence bundles had already been supplied to the defence.
The magistrate proposed a mention within a week to confirm compliance, but prosecutors requested two weeks to enable Koimburi’s presence in court.
The court granted the request and fixed today, November 5, for mention.
Notably, Irungu had moved to the High Court seeking to stop his prosecution, but Justice Lawrence Mugambi dismissed the petition in August, clearing the way for the trial to proceed.
The court noted that whether the accused persons knowingly participated in the alleged fraud could only be determined through the trial court’s jurisdiction.
The Defence has since told the trial court that there are ongoing discussions toward an out-of-court settlement between the accused persons and the complainant.
In another court, the case against university student David Mokaya, who is facing charges of publishing false information about President William Ruto, is scheduled to return to court today.
The matter has faced several delays and adjournments in the past, largely due to the absence of key witnesses and other procedural challenges.
In earlier proceedings, the trial magistrate cautioned both sides on the need to expedite the hearing to avoid further setbacks.
The prosecution has already supplied witness statements, while the defence has maintained that the case has dragged on without meaningful progress.
The court is expected to review the status of the case and
issue fresh directions.
