An accountant has been arraigned at a Mombasa court over the theft of over Ksh200 million from several logistics companies.
The accountant, Robert Wangila Wandera, is accused of being among five accountants who conspired in the theft of Ksh200,585,052.00 from Igsar Group Company Limited, Husaaba Trading Company Limited, Sunova International Limited and Inland Logistics.
Wandera was charged with conspiracy to defraud, theft by servant, false accounting, forgery, uttering a false document, giving false information to a person employed in public service and money laundering.
Alongside the other accused, the accountant, who appeared before Principal Magistrate Gladys Ollimo, is said to have conspired and defrauded the four firms through fraudulent withdrawal of cash from the companies’ bank accounts using Bwanyange Company Limited cheques.
“Wandera was also charged with stealing by servant while working as an accountant with the logistics firms,” the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) stated.
“He also faced another charge of making false accounting, which Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Gituma, told the court involved making of false entries into the companies’ book of accounts to show Bwanyange Limited paid over Ksh200 million to the four companies for goods, forex trading remittances and other transactions.”
The suspect was also charged with forging the signature of Thomas Evans Huntly in a letter of acceptance dated May 20, 2020, accepting being a director of Bwanyange Company Limited purporting it to be genuine.
The court was informed that Wandera uttered forged minutes of Bwanyange Limited signed by Thomas Evans Huntly, which were launched using the eCcitizen account of Anderson Kombe Hare.
He is also charged with giving false information to Business Registration Officer Ann Kanake by use of a letter that she omits Thomas Evan Huntly, as a director and shareholder in Bwangange Company Limited.
“Wandera was also charged with money laundering involving unlawful disposal of Ksh200,585,052.00 at Absa Bank Limited in Mombasa suspected to be stolen from the four logistic firms and proceed of crime,” ODPP added.
Wandera denied all the charges and was released on a bond of Ksh2.5 million with a surety of a similar amount.
Co-accused accountants
The court also summoned his two other co-accused Alex Mutemi Mwenga and Barnabas Agar to take plea to the charges.
Two other suspects, Pavan Kentan Ramji Shah and Anderson Kombe Hare, were charged two months ago.
