BY SAM ALFAN.
A partner in a law firm registered in the name of Chief Registrar of Judiciary Anne Amadi’s name has denied claims that he conspired to defraud a Briton of more than Sh100 million in gold scam.
Lawyer Andrew Kiarie said the law firm of Amadi & Associate Advocates received instructions from Bruton Gold Trading LLC for provision of escrow services in an agreement dated 15th October 2021.
Kiarie claims that he received instructions on WhatsApp on 14th October in the year 2021 by one Thomas Benn that Daniel Ndengwa Kangara alias Daniel Muriithi was their logistics agent and further enquired if they were offering Escrow services as a law firm.
Kiarie further claims he advised them to engage them through the email through the official email address Njenga@amadiassociateslaw.com, I then received an email from the email address Demetrios@brutontrading.com,in copy was Thomas@brutontrading.com their advocate based in London Afrances@gatalaywe.com.
According Kiarie affidavit, he requested the law firm to draft an escrow agreement for holding of funds that were to be released to Kangara upon receipt of Email instructions specifically from the email address Demetrios@brutontrading.com a representative of the gold company.
Lawyer Kiarie adds that on 15th October 2021, they entered into an Escrow agreement with the firm of Amadi & Associates Advocates.
He claims they supplied to ABC Bank supporting documents for the purposes of the money received in the firm’s client account by the gold buying company, which were the invoices addressed to the company.
He adds that pursuant to the said agreement, a total of USD $587,759 was sent the client account held at ABC bank and the account was aptly captured in the escrow agreement.He claims that all payments were done on instructions of representatives of the gold trading company and under their lawful instructions as per the Escrow agreement.
According to Kiare on diverse dates between 20th of September 2021 to 22nd October 2021 the law firms and client account domiciled at ABC Bank, Green House Branch was debited with funds from Aeras DWC-LLC which sums were consequently released to the Kiarie on instructions of the Plaintiffs representative Thomas Ben & MR Demetrios in accordance with the Escrow agreement dated 15th October 2021.
The escrow account is a client account which was opened before the escrow agreement and has and continued to handle several transactions independent of the matter presently in court. Thus it is not true that the account was opened solely for the escrow services.
The gold company has filed as part of their pleadings a receipt number 310385 confirming that Kangara received totaling USD $ 583,7000.
Amadi & Associates did refund the fees earned to the firm of Victor Lee Advocates after numerous malicious threats by the Advocates to wage a media campaign to paint Amadi’s son together with the two partners as having obtained funds, a move well calculated and coordinated to muddy the career of Brian Amadi who was in no way involved in the running on our law firm.
He says it is not true as alleged by the gold buying company of the plaintiff’s supporting affidavit that we represented Universal Global Logistics Company Limited (UGL) in a transaction between the company and UGL.
The gold company only entered into an escrow agreement with the firm of Amadl & Associates.
He says that there is no agreement between Amadi & Associates Advocates or himself with Kangara and Tylor in respect to the delivery or export of gold nor was the same disclosed by the company at the time of our engagement.
