Five former Members of Kenya Redeemed Church in Kayole, Nairobi have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the church its piece of land.
Andrew Gitonga M’Taramba (contractor), Mellon Ng’endo Maina, William Nyamu Joseph (Bishop), John Njeru Ndungo (Bishop) and Florence Wanjiru Tiras (Businesswoman) are accused of conspiring to defraud the church of plot No. D4-199 in Kayole by falsely pretending that they had the authority to sell the said property.
They are alleged to have committed the offense between 1st January 2012 and 15th October 2012 in Nairobi, jointly with others not before court.
The five congregants were also charged with making a document without authority on or about 15th October 2012 with intent to defraud.
The court heard that the accused, jointly with others not before court and without lawful authority, made a special power of attorney and sale agreement for plot No. D-144 Kayole, purporting them to be genuine drawn and filed by Wandugi Karathe & Co Advocates and issued by Kenya Redeemed church.
Lastly, the accused persons were charged with uttering false documents to wit power of attorney and sale agreement drawn and filed by Wandugi Karathe & Co Advocates to Mwangi Chiera, the Deputy Director Housing Development Department Nairobi County.
The accused persons are alleged to have secretly split from Redeemed Church of Kenya and formed their own church by the name New Life Redemption Ministries between 2012 and 2013.
It is during this period that they are said to have jointly transferred ownership of Redeemed Church to their new Ministry. The firm, Wandugi Karathe & Co. Advocates is said to have denounced the said documents.
The five denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku and were released on a bond of Sh 200,000 or a cash bail of Sh 100,000.
The case will be mentioned on 20th November and will be heard on 5th December 2018.
