Broker in land con scheme jailed for 15 years

A land dealer has been jailed for 15 years without the option of a fine for stealing Sh11 million from a woman.

Bascillioh Muyadi, 45, was found guilty of four counts of making a fake title deed which he presented to the prospective land buyer, said to be the private secretary of billionaire businessman Humprey Kariuki, and eventually conning her of her hard earned cash.

Murang’a Chief Magistrate Margaret Wachira concluded that the land broker was guilty of making a fake title deed which he used to con Susan Waithira Waithaka.

In her judgement delivered on September 3, Wachira ruled that the prosecution had proved that Muyadi had made a fake title deed and received money by duping the land buyer into a fraudulent transaction.

The prosecution had alleged that Muyadi, together with other suspects not before court, made a false title deed which they later presented to Waithira in pretext that it was a genuine document.

The prosecution tabled bank statements showing Muyadi’s account where the Sh11 million was deposited.

Rising cases

Muyadi is alleged to have received the cash between March 12 and 15, 2018 in Ruiru, Kiambu.

The transaction was in relation to a one acre parcel of land registered as LR Block 4/Muruka/266 in Muruka, Murang’a County.  

Original land documents tabled in court from the Murang’a land registry showed the title deed presented by Muyadi was fake and that the genuine land document was still in the names of Peter Nduati Mbau, who was issued the document in 1993. Yesterday, Murang’a County DCI head Julius Rutere hailed the jailing of Muyadi.

Mr Rutere said cases of land fraud have been on the increase in Murang’a County.

Police suspect that staff at the Land Registry had been colluding with criminals to make fake documents which they use to con unsuspecting land buyers.

Rutere said police investigations (not related to this case) have revealed that the unscrupulous staff help their criminal networks get insider information on idle parcels of land.

The criminals then use the information from the land registry to prepare fake title deeds and land allotment letters which they use to con unsuspecting buyers. It just a matter of time before we get them,” Rutere said.