Couple Based in the US Fails to Stop Hearing at the Kenya High Court
The High Court has declined to stop the hearing on a case in which a couple residing in the US is charged with economic crime together with former National Land Commission (NLC) officials including former chairman Muhammad Swazuri.
The couple, Francis Kibaru Karanja and his wife Martha Wairimu Waithaka have been charged with conspiring to commit crime after they sold a house worth located in Thome Estate in Nairobi and worth Sh45 million to Sostenah Ogero Taracha and his wife Dr Salome Munibi, former NLC director.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says part of the money Taracha used to buy the house was under investigation, and that the couple should have investigated the source of the money before closing on the deal. The couple says they had no idea that the money was tied to corruption, adding that they sold the property genuinely and in good faith.
Judge John Onyiego said Karanja and his wife have never pleaded to the charges, hence will not surfer any prejudice if the criminal proceedings continue. The High Court has declined to stop the hearing on a case in which a couple residing in the US is charged with economic crime together with former National Land Commission (NLC) officials including former chairman Muhamma Swazuri.
The couple, Francis Kibaru Karanja and his wife Martha Wairimu Waithaka have been charged with conspiring to commit crime after they sold a house worth located in Thome Estate in Nairobi and worth Sh45 million to Sostenah Ogero Taracha and his wife Dr Salome Munibi, former NLC director.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says part of the money Taracha used to buy the house was under investigation, and that the couple should have investigated the source of the money before closing on the deal. The couple says they had no idea that the money was tied to corruption, adding that they sold the property genuinely and in good faith.
Comments (27)
This is BS! If Kenya’s DCI, police, justice systems have always failed to deliver in any of their investigations despite the resort they have, who are we to do that?? ThAts not the citizen’s job! Mark you a buyer’s source of income has never been mandatory!
When selling property the main question someone asks is do u have the money to buy the property n not where did u get ur money. I do not see what wrong this couple did as in Kenya its seems stealing has become a hobby to most n questioning people where they got their money u may ended up not selling ur proprtey as lots of peoples wealth is stolen.
Kenya, Africa and the black man around the world is finding himself in a crisis for having abandoned himself and his ways and following blindly. We find ourselves using names that moke who were are. Praying to a white Jesus that looks the other when it comes to issues of a black nation. Using a foreign language and constitution (laws of another nation) that are unfavorable and unjust to a black man.
Laws that justify taking our land, and our human resources.
It's time to reflect, go back to who we are and all the fakeness including corruption will disappear as our fakeness disappears. Over 400 years, we have been trying and it has not worked.
As long as we remain fake and pretend to be someone else, everything that comes with that fakeness will follow us and since its foreign we have never resolved it and we will not be able to resolve it. We can only pretend or seem like we are trying to resolve something.
The answer is in rediscovering who we are, being that and building our societies based on who we were made to be. Anything else is water under the bridge.
How do you stay fake and unaware of your identity? We are talking about 58 years after Independence and you are still talking about lack of identity, lack of pride in what you do; except in stealing and corruption, etc! Wow, what a curse???
That "the couple should have investigated the source of the money before closing on the deal"? This is the Dumbest argument I have heard (in Court) ever.
That is the kind of judges, lawyers, etc we are bleeding of late! Plainly stupid!!
This sounds like a real witch hunt. Go after Swazuri and other looters.
What a stupid legal argument. You want to tell me that all these poor Kenyans who genuinely sell plots, farms, houses etc to politicians and government officials and are paid with stolen money are now conspirators? The sellers interest is to get paid..period. You want Kenya citizens to be criminal investigators?
I don't see the point where Muhammad Swazuri have to do with this period Neither the sellers are not shown to be tried with the previous corruption monies.
More than likely Mwakilishi have it wrong or incomplete - please do your due diligence in reporting.
The story is legit.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/Couple…
How on earth are we ordinary folks supposed to investigate where others got their money from? EACC should have done their job and frozen the accounts. That is what they are there for. It is not the citizens duty to question funding sources in the market place.
Diasporians have now taken up the jobs of EACC. Sasa wacha wakule full time.
Why not? You have failed your country and so some one has to do it for you from far. You got huge mouth with no actions @mugikuyu! Why not do it if it hurts you that bad that the diaspora are telling your skinny ass how to do it!? Chenzi!
Diasporans send billions in foreign exchange to Kenya. Their personal investments in Kenya run the gamut from school fees, family support to business investments of all sorts. Should I only sell an investment property or business to a fellow Diasporans since with few exceptions their money is earned through hard work? This is the the height of dumbassery.
So now we have to do the government's job too? I see a conversation like this, Mheshimiwa naamini pesa ambayo unanipatia kulipa hii deni ni matokeo ya rushwa, ufisadi au wizi. How do you plead? Next they will want us to administer lie detector tests. Diasporans get taken for a ride all the time. The govt. typically does nothing so why now and who in the government lost out on this deal? Why not simply void the deal and give the diaspora couple their money?
@Mūndūmūgo you are right "Diasporans get taken for a ride all the time" Just a little while ago, some diasporian group was trying to fundraise for the same government.
Wonder what @MkenyaHalisi a major advocate of "invest back home" has to say about this.
Are you a parrot 🦜 to repeat whatever the guy before you said?? What a green feather @mugikuyu? Be a bit original!!
Deport all of them, including Swanzuri back to Kenya to answer his case! We cannot have thieves stealing from the poor and then they run away with the money to hide in America, etc! We need justice and this time America to show us a big favor by sending these run away crooks back to Kenya to answer the theft and corruption charges.
It is a fair game for those involved to return to Kenya to answer the charges! Anything stolen from Kenyans should be returned to the rightful owners!
This will set a bad precedence for future cases. It’s crazy to say the least!
What kind of crap is this? Since when people who are selling houses start investigating the source of the cash used?
Oh my. And how do you carry out the investigation ? Nonsense.
So the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is openly admitting to being unable to do their job and thinks ordinary citizens should be conducting anti-corruption investigations. Everyone at the EACC should resign effective immediately since they serve no purpose.
Is there any legal basis in that?..Why not simply confiscate the property if it was bought from proceeds of corruption?
Stay in America and evade justice. However, pay capital gains tax to the IRS. You are in public domain now
Something is not right, a seller sells his property to whoever can buy, its not the seller to know where customers have gotten their money from !!
If this is the Kenyan direction in fighting graft, let's start it with Songui source if money, who is close by the use that to give a ruling future cases.