BY PPHOEBE WANJOHI.
Four members of a self-help group in Eastlands area have been charged afresh with fraud charges in connection to a land valued at close to Sh1 billion in Donholm area.
Peter Muiruri, Peter Kanika, Hoops Alexander and Patroba Owino appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku over accusation of conspiracy to defraud, making a false allotment letter, lease and a fake title deed.
The four are accused that on unknown dates and unknown place in the country jointly with others not before court, with intent to defraud Gidjoy Investment of land measuring 11.8 acres situated in Donholm worth Sh944 made a false allotment letter purporting it to be genuine allotment letter signed by land administration officer P. Amiani.
The prosecution told the court the accused persons also made a false lease purporting it to be genuine having been signed by Land registrar Rosemary Anyango Ngong’a.
They are also accused of forging title Deed No. Nairobi/block 82,7333 purporting it to be genuine, issued by the same lands official.
The four also denied forging a lease purporting it to be genuine signed by lawyer Ng’arua Kamuya Ng’arua.
They were released on a bond of 2 million or cash bail of 1 million.
Several people have been previously charged with malicious damage of the property belonging to Gidjoy Investment Limited.
A top officer of a bank is alleged to be behind the ownership of the disputed land.
In a judicial Review before Environment and Land court case No. 20 of 2018, Mark Munge who is the operations manager of Gidjoy Investment limited told Justice Kossy Bor that the company is the proprietor of the suit properties.
Munge alluded to some illegal subdivision of the suit properties and added that the suit properties had been invaded by trespassers and that armed gangs acting on behalf of self-help had interfered with the suit properties.
But NLC Vice chairman Abigael Mbagaya told the court the commission received complaint from Nairobi Governor requesting NLC to review the property of grant over Nairobi block 82/7333 on the basis it was a public land that was illegally allienated to Gidjoy Investment limited.
This caused the commission to publish a notice in the newspapers inviting interested parties into public hearing owing to large numbers of complaints received by the commission countrywide.