A Muslim clergy has been charged with the offense of obtaining 1.8 million by false pretense from an Oman national.
Sheikh Mohammed Alhadi Ahmed pleaded not guilty to charges of obtaining kshs1,850,000 from Said Saif Salim by falsely pretending that he was in a position to purchase him 8 Acres of land In areas of Malindi.
Salim who appeared before Shanzu principal magistrate Yusuf shikanda in his sworn testimony informed the court that he had met the clergy in Oman where he was preaching and they became friends.
“I believed him because he is a sheikh a man of God ,we became friends since he often visited Oman in line with his work as a muslim clergy l had known him for one year before he convinced me to buy land ,”he stated.
The state produced documents of transactions indicating that over 1.8 million had been sent to the suspect in the year 2021.
Salim informed Shikanda that upon enquiring on the purchase of land,the suspect blocked the complainant and he was forced to report the matter at Malindi police station however no action was taken against the suspect.
“He was summoned at the police station however he promised to refund the money within two weeks but he did not honour his promise and a further complain lodged at the police station did not bear any fruits,following frustrations l was forced to report at Mtwapa police station and that is how detectives managed to arrest the suspect,”he informed court.
The suspect through his lawyer Yusuf Ababukar however produced a sale agreement ,a power of attorney and a title deed that indicated that the suspect had bought land in areas of Chakama phase two,land that is gazetted as public land.
“In the sale agreement Katana Kahindi Karisa who is listed as the owner of the land had made the sale agreement and my client as you had ordered in the power of attorney had used your identification details for the purchase of land is this not your ID number is this not your signature,”posed Yusuf.
The complainant however informed the court that the documents used in the sale agreement were a forged.
The magistrate ordered the defense through lawyer Yusuf to supply the prosecution with copies of the sale agreement,the power of attorney and the title deed for the Chakama land to enable the investigating officer authenticate the source of the documents.
“I hereby order the matter to be adjourned and a further order that copies of the originals documents in the possession of the defense to be furnished to the prosecution,”he ruled
Sheikh Mohammed had been charged that on July 13 2021 at Mtwapa Township in Kilifi south with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Kshs1,850,000by falsely pretending that he was in a position to assist him purchase 8 Acres of land in Malindi.
The suspect was released on a bond of kshs150,000.
The matter will me mentioned in August 1 where the investigating officer is expected to clarify on the authenticity of the documents used in the sale agreement.
Written By: Peter Maseke.