NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 — A man has been charged with conspiracy to defraud over an alleged attempt to subdivide and sell a three-hectare property in Diani, Kwale County, valued at about Sh45 million.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said George Nyambati Mochache was arrested by detectives from its Land Fraud Investigations Unit following investigations into alleged fraudulent dealings involving the property.
According to the DCI, the complainant purchased the land in 1991 but was alerted in April 2023 that a third party had entered the property, placed beacons to mark subdivisions, begun clearing the land and advertised portions for sale.
“Following comprehensive investigations, the resultant case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review and advice,” DCI said.
The ODPP directed that Mochache be charged with conspiracy to defraud.
The suspect was arrested at DCI headquarters on October 2 after responding to a court summons before being taken to Kwale for arraignment.
He appeared before the Kwale Law Courts on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The court granted him a Sh10 million bond, with the case scheduled for mention on October 29.
The DCI said its Land Fraud Investigations Unit would continue pursuing cases involving attempts to dispossess legitimate property owners through fraudulent schemes.
The agency said the investigations are part of efforts to safeguard land ownership and maintain the integrity of property records.
