A 60-year-old man has been denied bond by a Kiambu court after he pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of impersonating an advocate of the High Court and fraudulently obtaining over Sh2.5 million from various people purporting that he could represent them in various courts.
Ethan Kamau Njagi was arraigned before Kiambu Chief Magistrate Patriciah Gichohi on Friday, September 25, whereby he pleaded not guilty to all counts relating to the offense.
He was charged that between November 2019 and August 2020, in various courts, with intent to defraud, he presented himself as an advocate of the High Court trading as E.K. Njagi & Company Advocates, a fact he knew to be false.
The second charge stated that in the same period, within Nairobi and Kiambu counties with intent to defraud, he obtained Sh1,300,000 from Stephen Githuku Kinuthia by falsely pretending that he was an advocate and would represent him in a land matter at the Milimani Law Courts.
According to count 3, he unlawfully obtained Sh500,000 from Fredrick Gichuhi Njenga promising to represent him in a succession case at Kikuyu Law Courts while in count 4, he is alleged to have obtained Sh400,000 from Simon Ngigi Kamau pretending that he could represent him in a land matter in Nairobi.
On count 5, he was charged that within the same period and in Nairobi and Kiambu counties, he unlawfully obtained Sh150,000 from Justus Atieri Malunda pretending that he could represent him in a court matter at the Milimani courts.
Count 6 stated that he obtained Sh70,000 from Samuel Machira Mugai, while count 7 alleged that he obtained Sh45,000 from Julius Ndiritu Kabochi purporting that he could register land for them at the Ministry of Lands, a fact he knew to be false.
According to count 8, on December 15, 2018, at an unknown place within Kenya, with others not before the court and with intent to defraud, he made an application for a registration document purporting to be a genuine document from the Ministry of Lands.
On count 9, he was charged that on September 4, 2019, at Kiambu town he presented a false document to Fredrick Gichuhi Njenga purporting it to be a genuine document from the Ministry of Lands.
Count 10 stated that on June 22, 2020, also at an unknown place within the country, with others not before the court, with intent to defraud made a court order purporting it to be a genuine court order issued by the Environment and Land Court Thika in ELC Case Number 40 of 2020.
The accused was represented by Kevin Seda who pleaded with the court to release him on reasonable bond terms as he was in the category of vulnerable people in terms of COVID-19 infection to be in custody.
However, senior State counsel Christine Mbevi urged the court to detain the accused, saying he had continued to commit more offenses while out on bond in related cases.
“He even absconded a case in Kangema Law Courts and a warrant of arrest was issued against him,” she told the magistrate.
She said that he also had similar cases in Machakos and Milimani Law Courts and thus should be denied bond.
After considering the application made by the defense counsel and the prosecution, the magistrate remanded the accused.
The court, however, ordered that he be accorded medical attention following his counsel’s concern that he is sick.
She fixed the hearing of the case for November 12 with a mention on October 4.
