Businessman Ashok Doshi was arraigned in a Nairobi court on Monday on allegations of land fraud and defrauding the government Sh1.2 million in 1992, by forging a land stamp duty receipt.
Mr Doshi was charged alongside his company, Magnum Properties Ltd, and the prosecutor wanted the court to issue summons against third accused Harit Sheth.
The crime is believed to have taken place in Nairobi at Ardhi House.
In the second count, he is accused of forging a stamp duty receipt purporting to be issued and signed by a commissioner of lands.
The businessman is also accused of forgery and causing a breach of peace against Greenview Lodge Ltd, which is legally entitled to the alleged land at Processional Way.
The businessman denied the charge and he and his company were both granted Sh500,000 cash bail.
The court ordered the businessman to surrender his passport and issued summons against the third accused.
In 2020, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions concurred with the DCI that the directors of Magnum Properties Limited -Doshi and his wife Pratibha – be charged for alleged forgery of documents and conspiracy to defraud the government.
Doshi and his wife later lost a case in which they sought to permanently restrain the police and ODPP from arresting and charging them in 2021.
DCI head of Investigations Abdalla Komesha on Sunday confirmed the arrest of the businessman.
Komesha said the trader will appear in court to answer to charges related to land fraud.
Doshi has been involved in the land saga with another company both claiming ownership of the land.
The parcel of land in question initially belonged to Greenview Lodge Limited owned by Jenniffer Nthenya.
But Doshi claims its ownership, alleging that the land was transferred to them in 2018 for Sh150 million.
Doshis told the court they are the registered owners of the land.
The land, according to the records was originally owned by Greenview Lodge Limited. Greenview then sold the land t to Magnum Properties before it was transferred to them in 2018 for Sh150 million.
The Doshis said despite having sold the land to Magnum Properties, Greenview Lodge and its director Jennifer Nthenya, had lodged numerous complaints to various government institutions.
Greenview then sold the land to Magnum Properties before it was transferred to them in 2018 for Sh150 million.
Green View Lodge said the matter had received extensive and lengthy investigations by internal departments of the Ministry of Lands and Settlement and the National Land Commission.
