Zachary Baraza may spend up to two years in jail or pay a Ksh 2 million fine for being in contempt of court.
This comes after Lands and Environment High Court Justice Oscar Angote found Zachariah Baraza of Siuma Auctioneers in contempt of court orders issued by a Magistrate court on October 18 and November 1.
The judge, on the other hand, convicted the auctioneer and summoned him to appear in court on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. for mitigation and sentencing.
Baraza disobeyed the orders by carting away the household goods from a property owned by an Asian family in Westlands, along School Lane, resulting in a property loss of Ksh 70 million.
The auctioneer’s eviction, according to the judge, “”was completely contrary to orders dated October 18 and November 1, 2022,” which expressly prohibited him from evicting people living on the land. This court finds that he not only acted contemptuously but also abused his powers as an agent of this court. For the time being, it is irrelevant who demolished the building because the auctioneer violated court orders by evicting the residents without express court orders or warrants. I find him in defiance of the orders issued in the presence of his lawyer, Nyanyuki “Justice Angote stated
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the vandalism, with Baraza as a prime suspect.
An auctioneer evicted Niraj and Avani Shah’s family from their home on School Lane.
Niraj expressed shock at the sight of the rubble that had been his family’s home since 1978.
The Shahs maintain that they are the legal occupants of the property because their lease is still in effect.
