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

Former Nairobi Deputy Provincial Commissioner Davis Chelogoi finally had his day in court yesterday when he pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding a businessman land valued at Sh1.3 billion.
It took a warrant of arrest to arraign Chelogoi, who has previously missed several sessions on grounds that he was hospitalised.

Chelogoi, who is charged alongside a former senior Lands officer Andrew Kirungu, denied eight counts of forgery of a title deed of a parcel of land measuring 7.39 hectares, the property of Ashok Rupshi Shah and Hitenkumar Amritlal Raja. Former administrator, through his lawyer Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda, pleaded to be freed on a reasonable bond, saying he has been sickly.

Missed sessions

“Your honour, my client is a sickly person, he has been in and out of hospital,” said Ojienda. State Prosecutor Sonia Njoki and Shah’s lawyer Suleiman Bashir opposed the application for Chelogoi to be given bond, saying he had previously missed court sessions.

“The accused herein has skipped court attendance five times. He never appears in court whenever this case is scheduled for plea taking,” said Njoki. “Every time there has been an excuse and reasons why the accused cannot attend court to take plea,” she went on, asking the court to take judicial notice of the conduct of the accused. Bashir on his part took the court through the numerous occasions Chelogoi failed to attend court for processing,

“We are looking at a party who is a flight risk and a dangerous person to the witnesses in this case,” he said.

He asked the magistrate to disregard submissions by Prof Ojienda that Chelogoi is a senior citizen who has served this country for 40 years and deserves to be treated with respect.

Lawyer, however, said Chelogoi’s character betrays him and should be treated like any other common Kenyan since he will use his influence to victimise the complainants.