Court sets free three involved in Mavoko land fraud

Three businessmen charged with conspiracy to defraud a cooperative society land valued at Sh3.4 billion has been freed after their bond was reviewed.

The three were charged on Friday last week and granted a bond of Sh10 million or alternative cash bail of Sh5 million by the trial court but they sought for the review of the terms saying they were too exorbitant.

Mohammed Kuroyow Mohammed, Mohammed Salat Ibrahim and Omar Khalif Adan appeared before the Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi where they sought to have the terms reviewed.

Through their lawyer, the suspects told the court that they were not a flight risk. “Your honour, my clients are small businessmen whose places of abode are known and their characters have not been challenged in any way, that is the reason why I pray for the review of bond terms,” pleaded the lawyer.

The lawyer argued that the purpose of depositing bond is to ensure that the accused persons appear in court for trial not to punish them. “The terms imposed by the court appear like a form of punishment.”

The trio was charged that at unknown dates and time within the country jointly with others not before court conspired to defraud Drumvale Farmers Cooperative Society their parcel of land IR 237120 LR 8529/10 original number 8529/11 measuring approximately 141.5 hectares.

The said land situated at Mavoko within Machakos county and valued at Sh3.4 billion is the property of Drumvale Farmers Cooperative Society. In the second count, the trio was charged with obtaining registration by false pretenses.