BY IRENE ONYANGO.
A shareholder of a general merchandise supplies company has been charged with several counts of obtaining over Sh34 Million by false pretense.
Esther Muthoni Muiruri of Bella Casa Agencies Ltd appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi and denied a total of 31 counts.
The charges stated that with intent to defraud, she obtained Sh34 Million from Duncan Maraga Mbici by pretending that their joint company with Bella Casa Agencies Ltd had been issued with a purchase order for craft Trading Ltd so as to supply Meat to Embassy Kuwait and Qatar. She allegedly committed the offence between June 16, 2021 and August 11, 2021.
It is alleged that Muiruri tried to convince Mbici that he was entitled to a direct profit over and above his principal capital if he funded the business on behalf of the joint account a fact she knew was false.
She also denied charges of frgery and uttering of false documents.
The court heard the Mbici had been introduced to Muiruri by her husband, Joseph Migwi Mwai and later asked him if he was interested in joining a mineral water selling business (STILL FINESSE) where they were joint partners.
Investigations allege that Muiruri’s husband convinced Mbici that the company predicted higher returns at the end of the business and that motivated him to agree in joining the duo.
Mbici was later then convinced to also join the couple’s official company that is Bella Case Agencies Ltd in which he was to have a 30% capital share.
They opened a joint account at I&M Bank where Mbici and Muiruri were the signatories and the two agreed to venture into the business of selling meat locally and internationally.
Muiruri later approached Mbici with purchase orders that the attention was paid directly to Bella Casa Agencies Ltd from craft trading, a company based at Kuwait Embassy to supply Meat.
She convinced Mbici that the order had good money and through trust that was there between the two, Mbici decided to source the money to finance their project.
Mbici then flew to America for business duties and left Muiruri to run the business.
He came back in November 2021 and confronted Muiruri for he wanted to know how the business was doing since he had not seen any amount in the I&M joint account.
The accused was released on a bond of Sh10 million.
