Court orders bank to give records in banking fraud case

Magistrate orders Stanbic Bank to provide documents in Air Afrik Aviation fraud case. [FILE]

A court has directed an investigator to obtain all documents from a bank that is being investigated over alleged banking fraud.

Milimani senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi on Friday, gave the directions after a representative from Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited told court they were ready to serve the required records by the investigator Caroline Omwoyo.

This is after banking fraud investigation unit filed an application in April this year seeking the court to issue a warrant to investigate bank account(s), investigate books of an account in the name of Air Afrik Aviation domiciled at the bank.

The investigating officer also sought to inspect,investigate, obtain information and demand to be supplied with and exhibits from the bank.

Omwoyo also wanted an order for the bank officials to record statements regarding the account and the disputed entries therein.

"Court be pleased to issue an order compelling the Manager Stanbic bank Kenya limited, the respondent herein, to nominate authorized person to make and hand over a certificate of production of electronic evidence Certified Copies generated electronically ", the court was told.

Subsequently, orders compelling the Bank to provide the said documents and information were issued on April 17, 2024.

It emerged however that the Bank management failed to adhere to the orders.

The Bank would later respond via email on April 29 saying the requested documents were not in their custody.

On Thursday, the prosecution had sought to have head of legal at the bank be held in contempt for not honoring to the orders issued by the court.

The bank however responded that they had the documents.

The case will be mentioned on June 24 to confirm compliance of documents received from the bank.