The owner of a famed Nyama Mama restaurant has gone missing, prompting a Nairobi court to issue a warrant for her arrest after she was accused of unlawfully collecting almost half a billion shillings from a bank.
Ninaa Shanghavi was supposed to appear in front of senior principal magistrate Zainab Abdul on Wednesday, but her counsel said she was out of the country.
The magistrate refused to put the warrant for her arrest on hold for two weeks, claiming that she was aware of her need to appear in court.
Ms Ninaa and her husband, Jayesh Shanghavi, are accused of taking out an Sh520 million loan without putting up any collateral.
The lender had requested permission to place an ad in the newspaper revealing her disappearance, but the court ordered her to appear in court within two weeks, failing which the bank would be free to publicize her disappearance.
The two, who are directors of Good Earth (Group) Ltd, are accused of defrauding Victoria Commercial Bank by enticing them to execute a charge over an apartment in Nairobi in order to secure a loan of Sh520 million. Nyama Mama, Blue Door, Yao and Deli and Bakery are all owned by Good Earth Ltd.
According to the charges, they committed the crime on various dates between December 10, 2018, and November 2020. Mr Shanghavi was granted bail, and the judge issued an arrest warrant for his wife.
The couple’s lawyer told the court yesterday that she had departed the country by the time Mr Shanghavi was apprehended by cops.
He begged to be permitted to return to the nation and produce herself in court.
The prosecution and the bank, on the other hand, argued that she was aware of the allegations but decided not to appear in court.
*This article was written by Meshack Makau for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
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