BY PHEOBE WANJOHI.
Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji intends to charge four businessmen with threatening a state witness in Sh10 million extortion bid.
The revelation was made yesterday in a case where Hirji Ramji Patel, who is a senior operations manager of Astrol Aviation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), is facing charges of attempting to extort Sh10 million.
It is alleged that he attempted to extort the amount from businessman Pareshkumar Keshhavji Dodhia as a pre-condition for helping him to settle an alleged assault case by Dimple Sumariya dismissed.
Through prosecutor Kennedy Panyako, the DPP informed trial magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot that they intend to charge four other suspects and later consolidate the case with that of Patel.
The four include city tycoon Ashok Rupshi Shah, Shree Cutchi Gujarati Hindu Union (SCGHU) official Meghji Patel, Nilesh Bhavsharu and Mukesh Salva.
“I confirm that the file against the four suspects Shah, Meghji, Bhavsharu and Mukesh has already been prepared. We will charge them and then consolidate the matter with that of Patel. The file has been taken to the DPP Haji for perusal and further recommendation,” said Panyako.
The four are out on police cash bail and are expected to be charged after they recorded statement with the DCI over allegations of issuing threats to Dodhia who is a prosecution witnesses in Patel’s case.
The four suspects are also said to be intimidating and threatening the complainant to withdraw the complaint and his witnesses.
Shah, Meghji, Bhavsharu and Mukesh recorded statements after the court compelled them following an application by Dodhia that the police had failed to take any action against the four businessmen.
Dodhia through his lawyer, further claimed that despite raising complaints against them, no arrest had been made despite their of homes and business places being known to the investigating officer.
On February 22 magistrate Cheruiyot issued warrants of arrest against the four after they failed to appear in court to face the charges leveled against them.
The magistrate adjourned the hearing of Patel’s case to March 25 to allow the prosecution file a responce in a fresh application by four suspects seeking to set aside warrants of arrest issued against them.
The four suspects through lawyer Elijah Mwangi argued that the warrants of arrest against them was meant to injure their good character and reputation.
Among the charges the four are expected to face include threating to injure Dodhia, conspiracy to defeat justice, possession of an illegal firearm and attempting to extort Sh10 million from him.
In his court papers, Dodhia claims the extortion and the attempted extortion was occasioned by the Patel together Ashok Shah, Meghji, Bhaavsharu and Rawal jointly and severally on several occasion in the company of accused person using the accused person firearm and threat to use it against him.
In the case against Patel, he has since 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.
The prosecution alleges that on July 17,2020 at Parklands Road within Westlands sub-county during his arrest, the accused was found to have 27 rolls of Cannabis sativa of street value of Sh 2160 which was not in medical preparation form.
