A prominent Eldoret business mogul has been charged with defrauding a businesswoman of her land valued at Sh. 300 million using a forged letter of allotment.
The businessman Mahendra Cordhanbhan Patel was charged with making false documents contrary to section 357 of the penal court.
The court heard that on December 9, 2009, at an unknown place together with others not before the court with intent to defraud Mary Chepkurui of her land parcel within Eldoret municipality, block 8/12 measuring 1.226 hectares valued at Sh.300 million, he made a false allotment letter in the name of Sossian Builders Limited purporting to be a genuine letter of allotment of the same land.
Prosecution documents stated that the said fake allotment letter was signed and issued by Peter Kang’ethe Thuo, a former lands commissioner in Nairobi.
Patel also faced a second charge of making similar false documents in relation to the same parcel of land on February 24, 2009.
He was also charged with fraudulently obtaining a registration certificate of a title deed to the same land claiming to be a genuine land ownership document issued by Eldoret land registry in Uasin Gishu County valued at Sh. 300 million.
Particulars of the third offense stated that on December 31, 2009, at Eldoret land registry, with intent to defraud Mary Chepkurui of her prime land parcel situated in Eldoret town, fraudulently procured registration of the said land certificate of the lease in favor of his Sosian Builders Company Limited.
The accused denied the three charges before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Mogire Onkoba, and through his lawyer, implored the court to release him on lenient bond terms.
“My client is a senior resident of this town and since the time of his arrest, he has complied with the rule of law. I urge this court to consider his age and release him on lenient bond as well as an option of favorable cash bail,” the defense lawyer told the court.
State Counsel Patricia Kirui did not object to his release on the bond but urged the court to consider a bond term that was fair in proportionately with the value of the said property.
“The state is not opposed to his release on bond but I urge the court to consider bond terms that are in relation to the value of the said property,” Ms. Kirui told the court.
The magistrate released him on a Sh.1 million bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh.500,000.
The case will be mentioned on September 22 for further directions.
