Four suspects in Sh944m land forgery case charged afresh

Members of Sowesava self-help group Patrobas Odoyo Awino, former chief Alexander Hoops Shihemi, Peter Njoroge Kanika and Peter Gitau Muiruri at Milimani law courts when they took plea a fresh on a consolidated charge sheet over forgery of land allotment letter, lease and Title deed of a parcel of land measuring 11.8 acres situated at Donholm area.[Collins Kweyu,Standard]

Four suspects of a self-styled self-help group have been charged afresh over a Sh944 million land fraud criminal case in Nairobi’s Donholm estate.

The four who include a former Kayole chief, Alexander Hoops, Patrobas Awino, Peter Gitau and Peter Njoroge are expected to answer to five counts of forgery and land fraud consolidated.

They are accused of forging a title deed, a lease and an allotment letter.

The Director of Public Prosecutions through State Counsel Anderson Gikunda told Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku that the charge sheet against the four was ready after the High Court scuttled an attempt by Awino to have their prosecution stopped.

In the first count, they are accused with intent to defraud Gidjoy Investment Ltd of 11.8 acres of land in Donholm, they made a false allotment letter purporting it to be genuine and issued by a lands administration officer.

Forging a lease

The disputed parcel of land is formerly Nairobi /block 82/7333 now part of the amalgamation of other parcels valued at Sh944 million.

They also face a second count of forging a lease purportedly signed by Ms Rosemary Ngong’a, a land Registrar on unknown dates within the country.

They further face a third count of forging a title deed with intent to defraud Gidjoy Investment Ltd by forging a title deed purportedly issued by Ngong’a, a Ministry of Lands official.

The court also heard that the four forged a lease document purportedly signed and stamped by Ngarua Kamau & Kamau advocates.

The accused persons further conspired to defraud Gidjoy Investments limited by falsely pretending that they had a genuine title dated November 28, 2001, issued and signed by Rosemary Ngong’a a land registrar.

They denied the charges and through their lawyer, Emily Nyongesa, asked for lenient bond terms.

However, the prosecution insisted that the same bond terms be retained which had been given to Peter Gitau and Peter Njoroge who were charged in 2019.

Cash bail

Nyongesa also asked for witness statements from the prosecution.

Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku released them on a cash bail of Sh1 million or a bond of Sh2 million each.

Mutuku told Hoops and Awino that they will have to remain in custody until their bond terms are processed. “You will have to remain in custody until your bond terms are processed,” she said.

The matter will be mentioned on August 19, 2021, for pretrial directions.

Last month, a constitutional court threw out an application by Awino saying that he was using the case to stall the prosecution of the multimillion fraud case.