BY SAM ALFAN.
A Nairobi court is set to rule on whether the director of Goldenscape Greenhouse limited Mr Peter Wangai Muriithi will be charged with 357 counts related to fraud.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku will consider whether the charges will be split or whether all the will be contained in one charge sheet.
Muriithi was presenter to court Monday but the plea taking was deferred to August 9, pending Mutuku’s ruling.
He was released on a bond of Sh20 million or cash bail of Sh10 million, pending the plea.
The complainants are represented by lawyer Mutea Muthuri, Wambua Mwange among others.
In the charge sheet presented before court, Muriithi is facing several counts of issuing bad cheques and obtaining money by false pretenses.
Early this year, Muriithi was charged with obtaining millions from investors by duping them to investing in greenhouses.
The charges stated that he obtained the money from investors by asking them to invest in his agribusiness company, for better returns.
One of the charges stated that he obtained Sh1.04 million from Eunice Mosiara on diverse dates between January 31 and September 19, 2019.
It was alleged that he received the money at his Goldenscape Greenhouse Ltd offices at Kimathi House in Nairobi, for three greenhouses and falsely pretended that he was in position to pay her Sh275,000 return investment on each greenhouse after every six months.
The court also heard that he obtained Sh1.99 million from Alice Waithera on July 12, 2019, for five greenhouses. He allegedly obtained Sh1, 840,000 from Douglas Ng’ang’a, for four greenhouses.
Last month, Several properties associated with Muriithi were frozen over claims of money laundering.
Muriithi and the companies including Goldenscape Trees Africa Limited, Goldenscape Greenhouse limited, Silverstone properties limited were barred from transferring several parcel of land in Ngong, and Rumuruti in Laikipia county.
Five of the parcels are registered under Murithi’s name located at Ndarumo, while ten others are under Silverstone located in Ngong and another registered under Goldenscape Group.
High Court judge James Wakiaga also barred Muriithi from transferring or selling five motor vehicles and six motorcycles.
“An Order be and is hereby issued directing the respective Land registrars to register a caveat against the titles of each of the land parcels specified in order,” ruled the judge.
The court also directed the Director General National Transport and Safety Authority to register a caveat against the titles or records of each of the motor vehicles and motor cycles specified in the order.
