The High Court in Nairobi has overturned the acquittal of seven individuals previously cleared in the long-running Anglo Leasing scandal and ordered them to be placed on their defence.
Justice Benjamin Musyoki of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division ruled in favour of the prosecution’s appeal, stating that the trial court had failed to properly evaluate the weight of the evidence presented. The initial acquittal, delivered on January 19, 2024, had cleared the suspects due to alleged insufficient evidence.
The accused include the late former Finance Minister David Mwiraria (whose charges have since abated), former Permanent Secretaries Dave Munya Mwangi (Provincial Administration) and Joseph Mbui Magari (Finance), David Lumumba Onyonka, and businessmen Rashmi Chamanlal Kamani, Deepak Kumar Kamani, and Chamanlal Vrajlal Kamani.
They face allegations of conspiring to defraud the Kenyan government of Ksh.5.9 billion through a fraudulent Supplier’s Credit Agreement between October 2003 and April 2004, intended for the modernisation of police security systems. The Kamani family is also accused of receiving an additional Ksh.117 million from the Ministry of Finance, purportedly through offshore accounts in Switzerland operated by Apex Finance Corporation Ltd and Apex Finance International Corporation Ltd.
The public officials also face charges of abuse of office and flouting procurement laws during the execution of the project. Though 37 witnesses were presented by the prosecution during the initial trial, the court had ruled that the evidence did not meet the threshold for conviction.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) appealed the acquittal on January 29, 2024, arguing that the trial court had overlooked key evidence. Justice Musyoki, in agreeing with the ODPP’s position, ruled that the accused must now respond to the charges.
The case will be mentioned before the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate’s Court on August 7, 2025, for further directions. The Anglo Leasing scandal remains one of Kenya’s most infamous financial corruption cases, with far-reaching implications for public accountability and justice.
Written By Rodney Mbua
