Milimani Magistrate court on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, detained eight persons of interests including Emmanuel Mutuku Matheka an officer at Ardhi House accused of engaging in land fraud and title deeds forgery for 10 days.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said that Mutuku Matheka an officer working at the ministry of lands at Ardhi House, Livingstone Ambayi a police officer, Leonard Clifford who works at the government press among others are being investigated for the offence of conspiracy to defraud, forgery, making false documents, obtaining registration by false pretenses, abuse of office and fraud.
According to the Investigative Officer (IO) Nicolaus Osuri Otieno, during the arrests and searches at the offices and houses of the eight, they recovered forged land certificates, leases, title deeds, transfer of interest in land, letters of allotments and forgery stamps.
Further, the IO indicated that the recovered stamps bear imprinted names of the state department for lands and physical planning, land registrar, land administrators, Advocates, and the County government of Kiambu and Nakuru stamp duty and none of the persons arrested is known to bear such designations.
The prosecution told the court that the eight should not be released on bail because they might interfere with the ongoing investigations, urging the court to grant the DCI the 14 days they sought to enable them to complete investigations.
However, the defense faulted the application by the DCI stating that the prosecution had not proved that the eight were a flight risk and there was no evidence placed before the court to prove that the suspects could interfere with the investigations.
Delivering the ruling, Milimani Court Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi cc said that the prosecution established compelling reasons to have the application allowed because the offenses which the respondents are under investigations are of great nature.
She further stated that according to paragraph two of the supporting affidavit, there was a likelihood of respondents to interfere with the witnesses or the exhibits of the evidence that may be against them or may incriminate them.
“Having clearly considered the matter that is before me and the court, I find that the application is merited, I proceed to direct as follows that the 8 respondents shall be detained at Muthaiga and Ruaraka police station as the capacity may allow for a period not exceeding 10 days,” Magistrate Ndombi ruled.
The matter will be mentioned on April 11, 2025, at 9 am for further directions.
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