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Faulu staff charged with conspiring to sell Sh150m building

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They allegedly conspired to auction Ms Alice Wanjiru Wamwea’s residential house valued at Sh150 million. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Three Faulu Microfinance Bank employees and an auctioneer have been charged in court over irregular sale of a commercial building belonging to a city trader.

The lender's credit officers Amos Mugweru Mwangi, Peter Kefa Onsongo and Tom Jaseme together with auctioneer Robert Wamwere Maina, business lady Esther Muthoni Njoroge and trader Paul Njuki were charged with conspiring to auction Ms Alice Wanjiru Wamwea’s building occupied by tenants and valued at Sh150 million.

They were charged Thursday before Senior principal magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot with conspiring to defraud Ms Wamwea. They denied the charges.

The director of public prosecutions (DPP) through a prosecuting counsel Edna Ntabo told the court they had hatched a plot to defraud Ms Wamwea of her property in Huruma Estate in Eastlands, Nairobi County on diverse dates between May 30, 2015 and March 28, 2019.

Mr Mugweru Mwangi was separately charged with stealing Sh22 million from Ms Wamwea on diverse dates between August 6, 2014 and April 11, 2015.

Ms Njoroge, who was not present in court, was charged with forging the signature of Ms Wamwea on a Faulu Bank loan application form purporting to be the signature of the complainant.

The microlender's employee, Tom Jaseme, was also not in court.

“Mr Jaseme was not aware he was required to appear in court. He is at the bank premises and can avail self before this court anytime to plead to charges,” defence lawyer Charles Njenga told the court.

Applying for their release on bond, defence lawyer Charles Njenga said the criminal case stems from two civil litigations pending at the high court’s commercial division.

The magistrate heard the actual amount involved is Sh69 million and not Sh150 million as claimed by the DPP. Mr Cheruiyot directed each of the suspects to deposit a cash bail of Sh100,000, and set the case to be heard September 18, 2019.