A former high-ranking police officer was on September 18, 2023, arraigned in a Thika court charged with 16 counts of forgery and illegally transferring land belonging to a businesswoman.
Christopher Mathea Mukirai denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate P. Mutua. The court ordered him to be remanded at the Thika police station for a week.
The charge states that on May 28, 2018, at the Ruiru land registry in Kiambu County, the accused jointly with others not before the court and with intent to defraud, forged a transfer form for land parcel Ruiru/Ruiru East Block 2/26117 purporting it to have been signed by Alice Njeri Muchugi, a Juja-based businesswoman who is the complainant.
Mukirai faced 15 other similar counts of forging transfer documents for various land parcels belonging to Muchugi on the same date and venue.
"On May 28, 2023, at Ruiru land registry in Kiambu County, jointly with others not before the court with intent to defraud forged a signature of Alice Njeri Muchugi on a transfer of landform and application of consent for title number Ruiru/Ruiru East Block 2/26132, purporting to be signed by Ms Muchugi," reads one of the charges.
The court was told that Mukirai, a retired former superintendent of police, was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last Saturday, September 16, 2023, on his way back from a trip abroad.
Prosecuting, S. Mulwa informed the court that the accused was charged with the same offence earlier, but the case was in February this year withdrawn under unclear circumstances as the complainant was not informed or involved.
However, P. Wamwai, appearing for the accused, said the earlier case was withdrawn by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and her client was not to blame.
The magistrate directed the probation officer to prepare a report and present it to the court on September 25, 2023, when the matter will be mentioned.
