BY SAM ALFAN.
A fake lawyer who wrote to a solicitor in the United Kingdom requesting to be a lead counsel in a divorce case has been jailed by a Nairobi court.
Nazir Bhadural Jinnah, who is the director of Pearl Beach Hotel trading for English Point Marina was sentenced to serve 18 months for presenting himself as an advocate .
The businessman was given an alternative of paying a fine each of Sh250,000.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego found him guilty of presenting himself as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
He was also found guilty of making a document without authority and uttering false document.
“Conclusively, this court finds that the prosecution has proved their case in all the charges beyond reasonable doubt and this court finds that accused person is guilty herein and court convict accordingly,” ruled the court.
He was charged that between the year 2013 and 2017 in Nairobi with intent to defraud Herbas Singh Birdi falsely presented himself to be an advocate of the High Court of Kenya as an associate of Khaminwa and Khaminwa advocates.
The charge sheet stated that with intent to defraud and without lawful authority, he made a letter for sale of property LR. No. (4/171-Nyari-Nairobi addressed to Singh purporting it to be genuine letter written and issued by Senior Counsel Khaminwa law firm.
During the hearing Law Society of Kenya categorically confirmed to the court Nazir was not an advocate or it member.
Sonny Birdi who was the first witness in the case told the court that he met Nazir in 2013 who was known to his father and was a consultant with Khaminwa advocates. That he was going through his divorce in the United Kingdom.
He needed help and that the accused now convict would be the lead counsel in Kenya. He testified that he had a UK solicitor.
He wrote a letter of appointment to the UK solicitor as lead counsel for the case. The case was in the UK and he paid for him to travel to UK.
Accused traveled to the UK twice.
Court heard that Nazir traveled to Canada for over six months and that his father went to khaminwa advocates to follow up on his land case and that is when he learnt Nazir has never been their employee, agent or partner.
In his defense, he denied receiving Sh5, 540,000 from Agwawal Khan and Company and that he has no idea wherethe money went to.
Retired engineer Sunny Birdi in his testimony told the court the last payment of the sale of his land assets of Farhana Properties limited in Mombasa was paid to Nazir.
The convict also denied presenting himself as an advocate at Khaminwa law firm.
