Two senior land officials have testified in the ongoing Ksh.1.6 billion land fraud case involving three businessmen accused of illegally acquiring a prime parcel of land belonging to Landmark Freight Services Limited.
Appearing before Magistrate Ben Mark Ekubi, Director of Land Administration Gordon Ochieng and Land Registrar Stephen Chege Njoroge revealed alarming discrepancies in the land records, including the absence of crucial documentation.
Ochieng told the court that the allotment letter, the foundational document required to initiate land registration, is missing from official files. “It could not have been missing during the registration of the title. It must have been misplaced later,” he said.
He also disclosed that two separate requests for consent to register the land were made, but neither identified the actual purchaser. “The first application was submitted by a company, but it did not indicate which director initiated the process,” Ochieng noted.
Further testimony revealed inconsistencies in documents submitted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), particularly discrepancies in the Land File (LF) number. Ochieng explained that allotment letters are typically filed in a general file before opening a dedicated file for formal communication and documentation.
According to the prosecution, the Commissioner of Lands approved the transfer of the land on May 13, 2013. The property initially changed hands from Beba Freight Limited to Bharat Ramji Manji and Young Moon Choi, before being transferred to Landmark Freight Services Limited after the required fees were paid.
The accused, John Gitau Ngumi, Atek Otech, and Bernard Otieno Mallo, are alleged to have conspired with individuals not before the court to fraudulently claim ownership of the land.
The revelations have raised serious concerns over the integrity of land registration processes and the potential manipulation of public land records. The case continues as the court examines further evidence and witness testimonies.
Written By Rodney Mbua
