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An Eldoret businessman was charged with defrauding a businesswoman of land valued at Shs300 million using forged documents.
Mahendra Gordhanbhan Patel was charged with making false documents on December 4, 2009, at an unknown place together with others not before the court.
The businessman with intent to defraud Mary Chepkurui of her land parcel measuring 1.226 hectares made a false allotment letter in the name of Sossian Builders Limited purporting to be a genuine document.
Prosecution documents stated that the said fake allotment letter was signed and issued by Peter Kang'ethe Kahuo a former Lands Commissioner in Nairobi.
Patel faced a second charge of making similar false documents in relation to the same parcel of land on February 24, 2009.
On the third count, he was also charged with fraudulently procuring a registration certificate of a title deed to the same land claiming to be a genuine land ownership at the Eldoret Land Registry.
Particulars of the third offence stated that the accused while at Eldoret Land Registry, with intent to defraud Mary Chepkurui of her prime land parcel, fraudulently procured registration of the said land certificate of lease in favour of his Sosiani Builders Company Limited on December 31, 2009.
The accused denied the three charges before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Mogire Onkoba, and through his lawyer, asked the court to release him on lenient bond terms.
"My client is a senior resident of this town and since the time of his arrest, he has complied with the rule of law. I urge this court to consider his age and release him on a lenient bond as well as an option of favourable cash bail," his lawyer said.
State Counsel Patricia Kirui urged the court to consider bond terms that are proportionate to the value of the said property.
"The State is not opposed to his release on bond, but I urge the court to consider bond terms that are in relation to the value of the said property," Ms Kirui said.
He was released on a Sh1 million bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh500,000. The case will be mentioned on September 22.
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