Court orders police to detain MP's car
By Evelyn Kwamboka
The court has ordered police to detain MP Joshua Kutuny’s Toyota Prado car until a criminal case touching on it is determined.
Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei issued the orders moments after the legislator testified in the case.
The Cherangany MP told the court he bought the Toyota Prado in 2008 at Sh2.3 million from a company along Nairobi’s Ngong Road.
"This is my first car since I was born. I did not do a search to verify under whose name it was but the company that sold it to me, gave me a receipt," he told the court.
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He paid Sh500,000 as the first installment and the vehicle was released to him as he cleared the balance in two months. All the money was paid in cash.
The court was told Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Richard Onyonka introduced him to a car dealer. The car dealer then took him to the company in Ngong Road.
"The documents were released to me after paying the last installment. The company also gave me the transfer forms but I have not picked the logbook," he said.
The vehicle is the subject of a criminal against businesswoman Alice Wamaitha Karanja.
She is charged with having stolen it at Marine Auto Sale in Embassy House, on Parliament Road, having received it on the account of one Mary Wangui Kigochi. The offence was allegedly committed between October 2007 and June 2008.
Ms Karanja faces another charge of forging vehicle registration documents at the Kenya Revenue Authority’s head office. She is also charged with fraudulently obtaining Sh5.3 million from Stephen Njoroge pretending she could sell him the car and also issuing a bouncing cheque for Sh2.2 million to him.
The prosecution says the car had been sold to Kutuny by the accused and they needed to have it in court as the MP testified.
A Nairobi magistrate has taken issue with police investigators for allowing the MP to retain a car they claim had been stolen.
Nairobi Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei gave the CID officers a dress down in court for failing to recover the vehicle from Kutuny.
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