Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Nicholas Owino Ochiel, a senior assistant director, Valuation at the Ministry of Lands has suffered a major blow after the High Court yesterday issued orders freezing his assets worth over Ksh1.2 billion which are believed to be proceeds of crime.

Justice Esther Maina issued temporary orders freezing the landed property, motor vehicles and amounts transacted through bank accounts belonging to Ochiel, his wife, brother and two companies to allow the hearing of the recovery suit filed by EACC.

“l hereby issued an order of injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, servants and/or any other persons from selling, transferring, charging or further charging, leasing, developing, subdividing, disposing, wasting, or in any other way pending the hearing of the suit,” Justice Maina said.

In the matter, the commission has sued Ochiel, his wife Violet Terry Muthoni Maina, his brother Richard Omondi Ochiel, and two companies associated with them namely Ternic Valuers Limited and Ternic Enterprises Limited over the unexplained assets amounting to billions of shillings.

EACC wants the High Court compel Ochiel, his wife and their two firms to forfeit to the Government of Kenya the unexplained assets amounting to Sh1,206,851,274 believed to be proceeds of corruption.

The anti-corruption watchdog is seeking to have 17 parcels of land in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kajiando, Siaya and Ugunja belonging to Ochiel, his wife and brother declared proceeds of crime and forfeited to the State.