Mungatana in trouble over rent arrears

Garsen MP Danson Mungatana is in trouble again, this time over non-payment of rent for his law office.

Auctioneers will soon be descending on the office in Mombasa.

Property managers Kiragu and Mwangi Limited wrote to Mungatana and Company Advocates demanding dues amounting to Sh366,444.

The office rent is said to have been unpaid for more than a year. The letter was copied to Makini Auctioneers. Read (Court lifts Mungatana's arrest warrant)

The letter, signed by Mr Samuel Mwai, says: “We note that your rent account now has an outstanding balance of Sh366,444. We wish to remind you again that under the terms of lease, rent is payable on the first day of the due quarter.”

It further says: “Please arrange to make payment of the outstanding amount by close of business by November 1, 2012.”

However, Mr Mungatana has said he does not have an office in Mombasa.

"Contrary to media reports published this afternoon, November 9, 2012, on the Daily Nation website; I do not have any rent arrears. No one has served me with a letter demanding any rent arrears. I do not run, administrate or sustain any law firm office in Mombasa" he said.
"It would be crucial for the Nation to note that I settled the bill of Shs 6 million a year ago and its unfair and against the rule of fair coverage in the Journalism Code of Ethics for them to keep referencing to a matter that was sorted and settled as if it is still fresh and an unaddressed" he added.

On Monday, the property manager wrote to the auctioneers, giving them the authority to recover the amount.

Besides the rent, the auctioneers are charging Sh38,400 as their fees. This brings the total demand to Sh404,844.

The Nation has established that by Thursday the MP had not paid the amount.

Three weeks ago, Mr Mungatana was charged in a Mombasa court with issuing three bad cheques for Sh700,000 each to Chwile Investments Ltd on June 20, 2011.

The cheques were to be drawn from his account at Cooperative Bank, Parliament Road, Nairobi. He is said to have issued the cheques knowing that the account had insufficient funds.

Mr Mungatana, who presented himself before Mombasa chief magistrate Stephen Riechi after a warrant of his arrest was issued, however, denied the charge.

He was granted a Sh500,000 bond, with a surety in similar amount, or a cash bail of Sh100,000, which he paid.

At the same time, Equatorial Commercial Bank Limited has filed a case at the High Court in Mombasa claiming Sh6 million, inclusive of interest accrued, from the MP.

This was after he allegedly breached an agreement in which the bank granted him a temporary excess facility.