A warrant of arrest has been issued against one of the suspects in Sh 49 million fraud involving a house purchase in Nairobi.
Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai issued the warrant against Erick Ochieng Ouko after failing to appear in court to plead to the charges.
The court also issued summons to Ouko’s co-accused person, James Okune Okutoyi to appear in court on 31st March 2026 to plead to the charges.
This is after Okutoyi’s lawyer informed the court that his client was unwell having undergone surgery recently, unable to appear in court physically.
The duo is accused of obtaining Sh 49,381,969 from Esther Mutinda Sigilai by falsely pretending that they were in a position to sell to her a residential home in a parcel of land NAIROBI/5842/13, a fact they knew to be false.
According to the charge sheet, the offense was committed on diverse dates between 22nd May and 25th October, 2024 at unknown place within Nairobi County, with intent to defraud.
Okutoyi is facing five other charges of forgery and four counts of uttering forged documents.
The court heard that on 1st of July 2024 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, with intent to defraud, he forged a certificate of sale, purporting it to be a genuine document issued by Westminster Commercial Auctioneers, a fact he knew to be false.
The accused person is also said to have forged a sales agreement, purporting it to be a genuine document issued by Kingdom Bank.
Other forged documents include an official receipt from Westminster, a valuation report from Kenstate Valuers Limited and a title deed for the said property.