Businessman charged with fraud in Sh35 million land deal, released on bail

A Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court has freed a Nairobi businessman on bail after he denied charges of forgery and uttering false documents linked to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of a Sh35 million parcel of land in the upscale Runda estate.

Mohamed Abdi Mohamed appeared before trial Magistrate Daisy Mutai and pleaded not guilty to five counts, including forgery, making false documents, and uttering false documents.

The prosecution alleged that Mohamed, jointly with other persons not before the court, forged a certificate of grant for land parcel LR No. 12672/173 IR 89485 measuring approximately 0.2412 hectares with the intention of defrauding the registered owner, Margaret Mwikali Katuse.

According to court documents, on or before May 3, 2006, the accused allegedly inserted a third entry in the certificate of grant indicating that the property had been transferred to him and falsely presented it as a genuine document issued by the then Registrar of Titles, George Gichimu Gachihi.

In an alternative charge, prosecutors allege that on or before April 19, 2006, Mohamed made a false sale agreement purporting that it had been signed by Katuse, the registered owner of the property.

The businessman also faces two counts of uttering false documents.

The prosecution claims that on June 2, 2021, at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu Road, he presented the alleged forged land transfer document and sale agreement to DCI officer Moses Mwenda, claiming that the documents were genuine.

Trial Magistrate Mutai released the accused on a bond of sh 200,000 with an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000.