BY SAM ALFAN.
Officers from Directorate of Criminal investigations are pursuing city tycoon Ashok Rupshi Shah and other three city businessmen for failing to appear in court to face charges of conspiracy to defeat justice, being in possession of an illegal fiream and attempt to extort millions.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot last week issued an arrest warrant against Shah and other suspects including the chairman of the Shree Cutchi Gujarati Hindu Union (SCGHU) Meghji Patel, Nilesh Bhavsharu, Mukesh Salva and Hirji Ramji Patel alias Harish Daria.
Once arrested they should be presented before court to plead with the charges against them.
The complainant Pareshkumar Keshavji Dodhia through his lawyer Kennedy Odour Wanyanga had filed an application under a certificate of urgency before the same court seeking orders to have the four suspects arrested and charged.
Dodhia wants the traders charged with among others attempted extortion, being in possession of narcotic drugs and being in possession of public stores.
According to the prosecution the four suspects have on several occasions attempted to extort from Dodhia, using a firearm belonging to Hiji Ramji Patel.
Later on, senior state prosecutor Kennedy Panyoko made the application and wants the four to be charged with extortion, conspiracy to defeat justice and interfering with witnesses.
Hirji Ramji Patel has already denied a charge of attempting to extort Sh 10 million from Dodhia.
Patel is a senior operations manager of Astrol Aviation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
He has also denied being in possession of items which include one walkie talkie make Baofeng, one Czeska pistol, two empty magazines for Czeska pistol, one Hytenra walkie Talkie, one firearm certificate for him Patel and walkie Talkies make Bestore, Bageng among others.
Patel who is being represented by Lawyer David Oyatta also denied charges of being in possession of narcotic drugs (cannabis sativa) and being in possession of public stores.
He is accused of being in possession of government stores namely one smoke military jacket, one pair of handcuffs , one bullet proof vest which property being suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.
