The hearing of a Sh400M case against a businessman to take 14 days

 Milimani Magistrate’s Court has directed the case in which a Kenyan businessman Kirimi Koome is charged with defrauding Rwandese investor Desire Muhinyuza of Ksh 400 million to be heard on 11th December, 2023.

This is after the plaintiff Counsel Danstan Omari told trial Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi that his client who is the primary witness in the matter had an emergency to attend to and could not appear physically in court.

According to the prosecution, all criminal matters are supposed to start with the complainant testimony since they usually lay the foundation of the case. The prosecution said the hearing will take approximately 14 days as evidence to be relied on is weighty and they foresee the complainant Desire Muhinyuza and other witnesses taking more than a day to testify.

An Estonian millionaire and a Dutch investor are among seven witnesses the State has lined up to testify in the case. Businessman Kirimi Koome is accused of defrauding Muhinyuza of Ksh 400 million that were wired to the accounts of StayOnline by falsely presenting himself as the owner of the cash.

He is also charged with alleged theft of Ksh 14.9 million from the firm, cash that had been entrusted to him to make payment for the provision of taxes

On Wednesday November  22nd, 2023 the High Court extended orders freezing the bank accounts of Kirimi Koome until 20th December pending the hearing and determination of the suit.