NYS scam lawyer alleges shoot to-kill order over Range Rover

Flying Squad officers have instructions to shoot anyone seen driving a Range Rover linked to a businessman at the centre of the National Youth Service (NYS) scam, a lawyer has claimed.

Patrick Ogola, to whom the vehicle is registered, says Jeremiah Sautet, who is investigating the theft of Sh791 million from the NYS, warned him of the shoot-to-kill directive while advising him to hand the car to the police.

The vehicle worth Sh23.8 million is among assets authorities want to attach to recover Sh585 million from Mr Ogola, Ben Gethi and six other individuals believed to be beneficiaries of the NYS loot.

Mr Ogola was responding to a civil suit filed by the Assets Recovery Authority (ARA) seeking to recover Sh585 million from Mr Gethi, his family, Mr Ogola, businesswoman Josephine Kabura, John Kago and lawyer Martin Muthomi.

“On November 27, I received a call from Corporal Sautet advising me that he required me to hand in the vehicle to the nearest police station. He further advised me by way of a threat that he had filed a report with the Flying Squad and anyone seen driving the motor vehicle would be shot. I also informed him that I had taken note of his threat against my life,” Mr Ogola says.

READ: How lawyers helped Ben Gethi to launder NYS millions

The documents filed in court do not, however, reveal why the shoot-to-kill directive was issued or whether the vehicle has been traced.

Police believe Mr Gethi is the biggest beneficiary of the Sh791 stolen from the NYS, and claim he used his associates and lawyers to buy property in a money laundering scheme.

Mr Ogola avers that the Range Rover is registered to him only because he is in the process of buying it from businessman John Kago, an associate of Mr Gethi.

Investigators believe that Mr Kago was a middleman acting for Mr Gethi.