Three men have been charged with obtaining goods worth Sh 33 million by pretending that they were the executive directors of Development AID Africa.
Seth Onyango Orinda, Leon Odongo Otieno and Richard Maina Mwaniki are accused of obtaining 4500 jerrycans of 20 litres Salit cooking oil worth Sh 24,750,000 from Hussein Adow Mohamed of Yusro Construction and Logistic company; by falsely pretending that they were the executive directors of Development AID Africa and were in a position to pay for the said goods.
The trio is alleged to have committed the offence on diverse dates between 5th November and 23rd December 2022 at Westlands area, Nairobi.
In another count the accused persons are charged with obtaining 1520 jerrycans of the said cooking oil worth Sh 8,360,000 from Rajula Adimo under the same pretence.
The trio was also charged with handling stolen goods.
The court heard that the accused persons, other than in the course of stealing, dishonesty received or retained 290 jerrycans of 20 litres of Salit cooking from Mohamed, knowing or having reason to believe that they were stolen goods.
Orinda has additional charges of money laundering and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of crime.
It is alleged that Orinda entered into an arrangement with Abdiwahab Aden Arte to receive Sh 4,332,000 being the proceeds of 1040 jerrycans of the cooking oil that was obtained by false pretences reasonably having known that the property is or forms part of proceeds of crime.
Orinda is also alleged to have received the Sh 4.3 million from Arte which at the time of acquisition, use or possession, he knew or ought reasonably to have known it is or forms part of proceeds of crime committed by him.
The accused persons are also charged with conspiracy to commit a felony of obtaining goods by false pretences.
They denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu.
Orinda was released on a cash bail of Sh 800,000, Otieno Sh 500,000 and Mwaniki Sh 300,000
