Fake documents used to purchase land, court told

A Nairobi court has been told that fake documents were used to purchase a parcel of land in Kiambu County by a suspect in the Sh791 million National Youth Service scandal and money laundering case.

Mr Cyrus Ngugi testified before a senior principal magistrate at Milimani Ms Martha Mutuku that the accused Samwel Wachenje alias Sam Mwadime bought a shamba at a price of Sh3,875,000 million shillings but has never been paid the balance of Sh 300,000.

He received Sh3,575,000 through his account at the Family Bank's branch in Kagwe, Kiambu.

Mr Ngugi testified that as per the agreement the balance was to be settled on or before the December11, 2015.

Ngugi, a land dealer said that he sold the parcel of land to Mr Mwadime on October 8, 2015 then transferred it after signing a sale agreement at a lawyer’s office at the Reinsurance Plaza after receiving some payment.

“It was a bank to bank internal cash transfer,” Mr Ngugi told Ms Mutuku while testifying in a money laundering case against Ben Gethi and nine others among them Gethi’s mother.

In court all the women suspects had covered their faces except salonist Josephine Kabura.

During cross-examination by lawyer Joseph Wagara it emerged that the postal address quoted in the sale agreement form belonged to Starehe Boys Centre.

The postal address read to the court is 30178-00100 Nairobi. The identity card written down in the agreement form belonged to another person called Samwel Karoboi and not that of Sam Mwadime.

“I never saw Mwadime’s original identification card,” testified Ngugi.

Eleven suspects – Ben Gethi, Josephine Kabura, John Kago, Charity Wangui and Paul Kinuthia, Samwel Wachenje alias Sam Mwadime, Antony Gethi, John Hope, Martin Gachara and Jedida Wangari – are facing money laundering charges. They have denied the charges.