Arrest warrant for city politician in fraud case
City tycoon Don Bosco Ooga Gichana. Mr Gichana was on February 27, 2015 charged with money laundering before an Arusha court. He also faces faces 12 separate counts of forgery and altering documents. PHOTO | FILE |
A warrant of arrest was issued on Monday for politician-cum businessman Don Bosco Ooga Gichana now in custody in Tanzania for alleged money laundering.
Prosecutor Onesmus Towett applied in a Nairobi court for the warrant, saying he was not aware of his whereabouts.
Chief magistrate Waweru Kiarie issued the warrant during the hearing of a Sh96 million fraud case Mr Gichana faces alongside Mr Graham Rioba Sagwe, Mr Robert Museti and Ms Moraa Gichana.
The rest were in court but the case was adjourned due to Mr Gichana’s absence. The four are charged with stealing Sh96,759,540 from Fina Bank on November 15, 2010.
Mr Gichana is also charged with stealing Sh8 million from Barclays Bank, while Mr Moseti faces a charge of stealing Sh9 million, also from Barclays.
Mr Gichana spent the weekend in a Tanzanian cell as money laundering in that country is not bailable.
The 34-year-old vied for a parliamentary seat in the March 4 election and lost.
In Tanzania, he was not allowed to plead and will be in custody until Thursday.
Mr Gichana is alleged to have conspired to launder money between November 2009 and August 2010 in Nairobi, Arusha and Dar es Salaam.
It was further alleged that in the same period, he deposited Sh411 million US Treasury cheques in an Arusha bank.
Lawyer Albert Kuloba, who had been charged alongside Mr Gichana, was cleared.
