Police probe missing Sh4m surety from Malindi Law Courts

Police in Kilifi have launched investigations into an incident where the title deed of a parcel of land valued at Sh4 million has gone missing from court.

The document was deposited as a surety in a fraud case at the Malindi Law Courts.

The title deed had been deposited to secure freedom for Aweys Ahmed Mohamed, Zein Ahmed Mohamed and James Mwangi Muturi, who had been charged with forging documents to defraud the late business tycoon Tahir Sheikh Said of ShSh28 million.

Last November, the three appeared before Chief Magistrate Julie Oseko and were charged with forging a letter of offer for Kenya Commercial Bank bearing the signature of Mr Tahir Sheikh.

DENIED CHARGES

They, however, denied the offence allegedly committed on August 25, 2014. They were released on cash bail of Sh3 million each or a bond of Sh4 million and sureties of similar amounts.

On Monday, police in Malindi told the Nation that the matter was being handled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation team in Nairobi.

Last week, detectives arrested two court officers in Malindi in connection to the missing document. The officers were taken to Mombasa for interrogation after spending a night at Malindi Police Station.

Police sources, who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity, said the two court officers were later released and taken back to Malindi.

OFFICERS SHOCKED

“We are conducting investigations on the matter and you will get to know the findings when we are through,” said an officer privy to the matter.

Detectives from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions described the disappearance of the bond document as shocking and shameful.

“We are equally shocked, the suspects were due to appear in court early March this year,” said one of the officers.

According to court documents, the case was filed by Ms Aisha Tahir Sheikh Said, the wife of the late tycoon and her family.