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A Nairobi court has allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to withdraw a Sh12.7 million gold fraud case against former Karachuonyo parliamentary aspirant Seth Steve Okute and his co-accused, businessman Bruno Otieno Olienda.

Milimani Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi allowed an application by the DPP, through a senior state prosecutor, to withdraw the charges against the two after they failed to avail the complainant in the case to testify first before other witnesses could be allowed to give their testimonies.

The complainant, Marjorie Grant, a US citizen has failed to appear in court on several occasions to testify in the matter.

The magistrate ruled that the prosecution has a right to withdraw the case at any stage before judgment.
“I therefore, allow the prosecution’s application to withdraw the charges as requested,” ruled the magistrate.

Through lawyer Wandugi Kiraithe, Okute had urged the court to acquit him for lack of evidence.
He told the court that his client has lost so much since his arrest and prosecution.

Okute and Olienda had been accused of obtaining from Marjorie R Grant USD 100,000 (then equivalent to Sh12.7 million) by falsely pretending that Newsky’s Global Cargo Movers International Limited were in a position to pay custom duty for 33 kilograms of gold shipped from Burkina Faso to Zurich, a fact they knew to be false.

The two were alleged to have committed the offence on November 9, 2022 at I&M Bank within Nairobi County with intent to defraud.

Elsewhere, Bar owners in Nairobi have a reason to smile after the county government slashed license fees by 75 per cent.

New fees published by the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning Charles Kerich says in the general retail category, bars will pay Sh25,000 for licenses down from Sh100,000. Medium bar licenses will have their licenses reduced from Sh100,000 to Sh35,000.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 5 (2) (A) of the Nairobi City County Waivers Administration Act 2013, the CEC has given waivers on the charges and fees for the financial year 2023/24,” Kerich said.

Medium bars and restaurants operating with a capacity of up to 100 people will be paying Sh75,000 which is Sh25,000 less than what had been been proposed.