A trader was charged Monday with defrauding a businessman of Sh6.5 million, claiming she would help him acquire an 89.4-hectare piece of land valued at about Sh26.5 billion.
The land in Kitisuru, Nairobi, belongs to Joshua Kule, a former aide to the late president Daniel Arap Moi.
Elizabeth Sote Chesang, 58, was charged with conspiring with others to defraud businessman Geoffrey Kiptoo Kiprop of Sh6,517,190 and forging the title of Mr Kulei’s land, claiming it was genuine and had been signed by a land registrar named Rosina Ndila Mule.
She was also accused of forging the signature of another land registrar named Robert Gachuki Gathondu, which was on the title deed of a one-hectare piece of land she sold to Mr Kiprop.
It was said that on July 28, 2021, at Corner House, Nairobi, the accused presented to Mr Kiprop a forged title deed for the 89.4-hectare land.
The charge sheet also said that at the Trans-National Plaza parking bay, she presented to Mr Kiprop a forged title deed in his name for the one-hectare piece of land.
Ms Sote, who was arraigned before Milimani chief magistrate Lucas Onyina, denied seven counts preferred against her by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
She had alleged she was in a position to subdivide Mr Kule’s piece of land and sell the small plots individually.
Ms Sote, who was brought to court on a warrant of arrest, had skipped court sessions for more than 10 months. She told the court that she had been hospitalised at the Kapsabet, Nakuru and Kericho level 5 hospitals.
Her lawyer said: “I have presented prosecutor Anderson Gikunda with medical records from Kabsabet, Nakuru and Kericho to prove she had been unwell.”
“The accused has been undergoing treatment for diabetes and hypertension. I urge she is detained at Capitol Hill Police Station for easy access to a doctor,” the lawyer said.
Prosecutor Anderson Gikunda opposed the plea, saying police needed time to verify the medical reports from Kabsabet, Nakuru and Kericho. He also noted that the accused had skipped many court sessions.
“I urge this court to decline the bail plea at this stage since police want to verify these medical records before I can respond to the bail application,” he said.
Mr Onyina granted police three days to verify the medical records, saying Ms Sote would be remanded at the Langata Women’s Prison until March 30.
