Ex- journalist, wife charged over Sh1.17 billion Syokimau land fraud

Former Nation journalist John Mugo Njeru and his wife, Editor Irima Mugo,

Former Nation journalist John Mugo Njeru and his wife, Editor Irima Mugo, were charged with 12 counts related to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of a parcel of land worth Sh1.176 billion in Syokimau.
The two appeared before the Mavoko Law Courts, where they denied charges of conspiracy to defraud, making false documents, obtaining land registration by false pretences, forgery and uttering forged documents.

According to the prosecution, the offences relate to a 3.775-hectare parcel of land owned by Kyoga Hauliers Limited.

The prosecution alleges that the couple conspired to unlawfully acquire ownership of the property by preparing fake land documents, including a grant and deed plan, and forging the signatures of officials from the Lands and Survey departments to facilitate the registration.

The charge sheet further states that John Mugo faces two additional counts of uttering forged documents after allegedly presenting the disputed land documents to detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in June this year while knowing they were forged.

Represented by lawyers Philemon Koech and Mwenda Njagi, the couple pleaded with the court to grant them lenient bond terms. The defence told the court they have a minor child who was left unattended at home after they honoured a summons to record statements, only to be detained and subsequently charged.

Before taking plea, the defence sought to halt the proceedings, arguing that efforts were underway to resolve the dispute through negotiations outside court.

However, lawyer for the complainant, Ken Echesa, opposed the application, saying the complainant was not aware of any ongoing negotiations and urged the court to proceed with the plea.

After the accused pleaded not guilty, the defence renewed its application for bond. Resident Magistrate Faith Boit deferred the application and directed probation officers to prepare pre-bail reports to assess the suitability of the accused persons for release on bond.

The case will be mentioned Thursday, when the court is expected to consider the pre-bail reports and issue directions on whether the couple should be released on bond and on the terms, if any.