?Sh2.3 billion Miwani land transfer case to resume

Deserted Miwani sugar company in Kisumu county in a picture taken on February 06,2017. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

The hearing of a case involving alleged fraudulent transfer of a Sh2.3 billion land belonging to Miwani Sugar will continue tomorrow (Monday).

Among those charged is Kibos Sugar Company chairman Sukhwinder Singh Chathe, also a director of Crossley Holdings Ltd, the firm accused of irregularly acquiring the 9,394 acre piece of land.

Also charged is Crossley Holdings, former magistrate Abdulkadir Elkindy, Ian Gakoi Mawa, Odongo Philips Katiba, Moses Nyaburo Osewe, Kefa Lumumba Atunga, Epainto Apono Okoyo.

On Friday, the case failed to proceed after the lead defence counsel, Richard Onsongo, skipped court.

Wesley Gichaba, one of the defence lawyers, said Mr Onsongo was on official duty in Lodwar where he was representing the Judiciary in the Court Users Committee.

Two witnesses lined up by the prosecution, former anti-corruption detectives Enoch Nguthu and Stanley Miriti are expected to testify before Chief Magistrate Julius Ngar’ Ngar.’

In April, a judge who testified in the case told the court that her signature was used to facilitate the fraudulent transfer.

Justice Olga Sewe said a signature on one of the documents that was purportedly approved when she was still serving as a deputy registrar in 1993, was not hers.

Two judicial officers who testified then, including Justice Sewe, questioned the authenticity of the documents the accused used to facilitate the transfer of the property to M/S Crossely Holdings Ltd.

“I am not the person who signed the document. It has several anomalies including printings which indicate it was signed in 2000 and not 1993 as claimed,” said Justice Sewe in April.