Two Men Charged With Robbing 4 Companies Of Ksh200 Million
They had intended to do so by fraudulently withdrawing the money using falsified cheques.
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Two men on Monday, March 11 found themselves in murky waters in terms of serious charges after they were discovered to have stolen more than Ksh200 million from four companies, along with several other financial crime allegations.
In a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the duo were charged before a Mombasa Court and made to face four other fraud-related offences.
Pavan Kentan Ramji Shah and Anderson Kombe Hare had allegedly conspired to defraud four companies, namely Igsar Group Company Limited, Husaaba Trading Company Limited, Sunova International Limited, and Inland Logistics.
They had intended to do so by fraudulently withdrawing the money using falsified cheques.
A building housing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. /ODPP
Pavan was also charged with stealing by servant, contrary to Section 281 of the Penal Code, in which it is claimed that he stole the money that came to him by being an accountant of the three firms.
"He was also charged with false accounting contrary to Section 328 of the Penal Code, Chapter 63 of the laws of Kenya, where it was alleged he made false entries in the said companies’ book of accounts for intercompany transactions by filling out falsified Bwanyange Limited bank cheques purporting that Ksh 200,585,052.00 was paid to the companies by Bwanyange Limited for payment of goods, forex trading remittances, and other related transactions with Bwanyange Limited," stated ODPP in part.
It was further revealed that the offences were allegedly committed between June 20, 2018, September 30, 2020, and February 22, 2021, at Igsar Group Kenya Limited offices at the Canon Towers building in Mombasa County, within the Republic of Kenya, respectively.
The accused persons, who pleaded not guilty, were each released on a Ksh5 million bond with two sureties.
"Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. Gladys Olimo issued arrest warrants against Alex Mutemi Mwenga, Robert Wangila Wandera and Barnabas Agar.
"The case being prosecuted by Prosecution Counsel Hilary Asiaho is scheduled for pre-trial on 26th March 2024," added ODPP.
In near-similar circumstances on Tuesday, February 27, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers arrested the head of the Kwale County Treasury and his four brothers working in different county departments and had them face charges related to graft.
The commission further claimed that the five directed and owned two companies which they had been using to carry out fraudulent deals with the Kwale County government.
The quintet include the Kwale County revenue officer, the driver of Kwale Water and Sewerage Company Limited, the Kwale County procurement officer and an official working at the Ministry of Health, who was initially an intern at Kwale County.
EACC indicated that the charges related to 10 contracts fraudulently awarded to the two companies which were paid exaggerated amounts of Ksh44.9 million and Ksh4.01 million respectively. The total amount was distributed to the suspects.
The tenders, which they obtained in violation of procurement laws using forged documents, were for the supply and delivery of sanitation materials, food and ration, general office supplies, and institutional appliances.
