Suspected land fraudster released on Bond

Kabarnet,

Saturday, November 4, 2023

KNA by Joan Tarus and Christopher Kiprop

A middle-aged man charged with fraudulent sale of land to an unsuspecting woman has been released on bond by a Kabarnet Court

The accused Benson Retuga was released on Sh300, 000 bond plus one surety or an alternative cash bail of Sh100, 000 by Kabarnet Senior Resident Magistrate Edwin Mulochi.

Retuga was charged with fraudulent disposition of mortgaged goods contrary to section 318 (a) of the penal code.

He committed the offence on April 20, 2017 in Kabarnet Township within Baringo Central Sub County in Baringo County being the seller of the land title deed number Baringo / Kewamoi A / 802, with intent to induce the purchaser Leah Chelobei to accept the title offered to her and with intent to defraud.

The accused person concealed from the said purchaser an encumbrance namely a charge for the same property by Thabiti Finance Company Ltd which went into Liquidation and Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation duly appointed as Liquidator to secure a loan of Sh390, 000.

He was also charged with two other counts of obtaining registration by false pretense contrary to section 320 of the penal code and Intermeddling with the property of a deceased person contrary to section 45(1)(2)(a) of the Law of Succession Act chapter 160 Laws of Kenya.

Retuga denied all the counts and the case was adjourned to November 21 for a second mention and to set a hearing date where the prosecution has lined up five witnesses to testify in the matter.

Courtesy; KNA