Court bars arrest, prosecution of late tycoon's son over land dispute

The High Court has stopped the arrest and prosecution of the son of the late billionaire Jaswant Singh over the alleged fraudulent sale of a Sh400 million land in Mombasa. Justice Jairus Ngaah barred the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) or the Inspector General (IG) from charging Joginder Singh. The DCI linked Joginder to the sale of eight pieces of land in Mombasa's Central Business District (CBD) that were allegedly to be subdivided among his five cousins. The suit land was co-owned by Jaswant and his other brother, the late billionaire Dalip Singh Dhanjal. The late Jaswant and Dalip left multi-billion-dollar estates that have been the subject of protracted dispute between their sons. On Wednesday, Justice Ngaah stayed the criminal proceedings before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo, who had ordered Joginder to appear for plea taking. "The leave granted shall operate as a stay of the proceedings in the Mombasa Chief Magistrate's Court, including the plea scheduled for September 4, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive JR application," said Justice Ngaah. Joginder filed a substantive motion seeking a judicial review. The judge directed the motion and responses by all parties be filed and served within 28 days for the purpose of expediting the hearing of the substantive motion. On August 26, 2025, Joginder failed to take a plea after being taken ill and given a week of bed rest and a review after two weeks. On September 4, 2025, Prosecution Counsel Barbara Sombo applied for a warrant of arrest against Joginder after he failed to appear in court for the second time to plead to the charges. Sombo said that Joginder was using sickness to delay justice and questioned the authenticity of the medical report that recommended his bedrest for a week. Joginder, through his lawyer Daniel Wamosa, told the court that he was given an extended bed rest for a week after he relapsed on September 2, 2025. However, Odhiambo ordered that Joginder appear before his court on September 8, 2025, to plead to the fraud charges. "The suspect is to appear before the court on Monday, whether on crutches or on life support, to take a plea," said Odhiambo. It is alleged that between May 19, 2019, and July 8, 2019, Joginder conspired to defraud Jaypee and Sons Limited of eight parcels of land valued at sh400 million. According to court papers, Joginder allegedly subdivided the said parcels that are subject to distribution among his five cousins. He is accused of subdividing and registering the said parcels into 20 more parallel title deeds while purporting they are genuine and valid subdivisions and title deeds. Joginder also faces another charge of pretending to be a sole director of Ms Jaypee and Sons Limited and purporting the titles were genuine. Among the properties left behind by the two billionaire brothers are prestigious tourist hotels, lands, residential properties and trading companies. The late billionaire and his three brothers, Dalip Singh Dhanjal, Narinder Singh Dhanjal and Baldev Singh Dhanjal, had shares in companies that owned several properties in common.

Court bars arrest, prosecution of late tycoon's son over land dispute

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Court bars arrest, prosecution of late tycoon's son over land dispute

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