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Former Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dave Mwangi has been charged with fraud involving a 3.7-acre plot in Nairobi worth Sh350 million.
He faces five charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, and obtaining money through false pretenses.
The charges allege that Mwangi, in collaboration with others not present in court, attempted to defraud Hamsita Patel of Holloway Properties Limited by illegally acquiring a piece of land along Mombasa Road, approximately 1.591 hectares in size, valued at Sh350 million.
Mwangi is accused of forging a land grant (LR NO.20261 IR NO.80202), dated November 23, 2001, to make it appear legitimate. He is also charged with forging the signatures of former Lands Commissioner Sammy Mwaita and current Commissioner Jane Kanja, and presenting these false documents to investigators.
Additionally, Mwangi faces a charge of obtaining Sh12 million from Onda Concrete Limited under false pretenses, claiming he could secure a lease for the disputed land.
Mwangi pleaded not guilty to the charges before Milimani Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi, who granted him a bond of Sh20 million, with an alternative bail of Sh5 million. The case will be mentioned again on January 21 for pretrial directions. Mwangi was arrested at his residence in Karen, Nairobi, and detained at Muthaiga police station before his court appearance.
The Director of Public Prosecutions approved the charges after investigations revealed that Holloway Properties Limited, whose director is Hamsita Patel, is the rightful owner of the land in question.
Mwangi served as Permanent Secretary during former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration. His court appearance comes just a year after his acquittal in the Sh7 billion Anglo-Leasing scandal. The case had been ongoing for two decades but was dropped by Magistrate Felix Kombo due to insufficient evidence and the unwillingness of key witnesses to testify. Mwangi had been charged alongside several high-profile individuals, including tycoons Deepak and Rashmi Kamani and former top civil servants, including Joseph Onyonka, Joseph Magari, and the late David Mwiraria, the former Minister for Finance.
