City court issues arrest warrant against alleged land fraudster

Makadara court issues warrant of arrest against alleged land fraudster after absconding court proceedings. [Standard, File]

A city court has issued a warrant of arrest on an alleged land fraudster after he absconded court proceedings for the past two years.

Makadara Principal Magistrate Hellen Onkwani on Tuesday issued the warrants against Stephen Maina Kiboi after the investigating officer informed the court that he is unable to get the accused.

The officer asked the court to give him more time to trace the accused and hand him to court.

The accused lawyer, Gabriel Otieno also claimed in court that he was unable to find him.

He said that he believes that his client operates in Nairobi and his rural home of Murang'a but was dodging to meet him physically adding that he has reported the matter to the police.

Kiboi is facing charges of obtaining money by false presences contrary to section 313 of the penal code. He had denied the charges five years ago when he was charged.

According to the charge sheet it was stated that between August 9 and October 25, 2016, at an unknown time within Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) with intent to defraud obtained from the complainant Kihuria Kamuri Sh3 million.

The charge sheet added that he obtained the money, falsely pretending that he was in a position to sell to the complainant a piece of land situated in Hamza, Makadara sub-county, Nairobi.

Documents presented in court by police showed that he had in 2016 received money in instalments from the complainant for the purchase of the land.

"I Stephen Kiboi Maina do hereby acknowledge the sum of Sh3 million from Ombati  Otieno and Opondo advocates who are my advocates in the sale transaction of the land situated in Makadara estate," his letter presented in court dated August 20, 2018 read in part.

He confirmed that had received the money and confirmed that he received the sum of money from the advocates and that they do not owe him any money as far as the land-selling transaction was concerned.

Kiboi is out on a bond of Sh1 Million.