DCI Kinoti Goes After Wanjigi Over Westlands Land Scam

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) director George Kinoti wants ODM presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi to be charged with fraud over a piece of land worth at least Sh400 million in Westlands, Nairobi.

The 0.34414 hectares (LR No 1870/II/200) piece of land is located at the junction of Peponi and General Mathenge roads.

The prime land has been under investigation since 2018 after it was found that it had three different title deeds.

Sleuths drawn from the Land Fraud Unit have forwarded the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommending Wanjigi, his wife Irene Nzisa and eight other people be arrested and charged with fraud.

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According to the DCI, Hemanshu Velji, Kaneez Noorani, Mohammed Noorani, Mohammed Hassanali, Promchand Dhodia, Augustina Kairu and Ministry of Lands official Fredrick Indhalo should be charged over the scam.

The three title deeds are held by Wanjigi and his spouse through their company Aerum Ltd; businesswoman Cissy Kalunde Musembi; and Horizon Hills Ltd.

The scam was unearthed on May 28, 2019 when Aerum Ltd attempted to sell the prime property to Kenroid Lt owned by businessman Yogesh Patel for a whopping Sh260 million.

Afraid he had been duped, Mr Patel sued Aerum Ltd after paying a Sh56 million deposit. He also reported the matter to the DCI who commenced investigations.

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“The title deed in question was never issued by the government. The suspects only come together with intentions to forge a title with intention to defraud Kenroid Ltd,” said DCI in his file to the DPP dated December 10.

Mr Velji claimed to have acquired the land through a government allotment in 1997 but did not have documents to show how the state gave him the property.

Investigations, however, show that the original owner is Dhodia Foam Ltd.

The DCI says there is no evidence showing Dhodia sold or transferred the land to Mr Velji who offered to sell the land on July 12, 2005. The land was going for Sh40 million.

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“On November 24, 2006, Mohammed Hassanali as an agent, instead of finding a buyer, colluded with Mohammed Noorani and allegedly registered a company, Horizon Hills Ltd by certificate number C131937 which purported to want to purchase the land from Himanshu Velji,” reads the investigation file.

“On November 24, 2006, Mr Hassanali and Velji in collusion with Kaneez Nooranim, who was the purported purchaser … executed three questionable transfers witnessed by advocate Jimmy Rayani.”

Investigations also show that the land valuation was done on Sunday, January 21, 2007, a day when government offices are closed to the public.

“It is unusual and unheard of for government valuation of a property to be done on a Sunday and well after the registration of a transfer in respect to that property,” adds DCI.

Wanjigi and Kinoti are engaged in another fight that saw the latter get a four-month jail sentence that has since been suspended.

Kinoti is accused of declining to return the billionaire’s guns confiscated in 2017.