NAIROBIKenya May 24 -A Canadian missionary was on Wednesday May 24 charged in a Nairobi court with seven counts of land fraud.
Sheppard Nelson Jason, who runs a Children’s Home in Ngong appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina where he was accused of conspiring to defraud Jeremiah Muuya Sailoji and Rhoda Ann Baxter of their land.
The preacher pretended that the two had transferred the land, measuring 6.15ha, to him.
He however denied all the seven counts and released on a Sh200,000 cash bail.
The defence lawyer however claimed the accused person acquired the land in 2012 and has developed extensively, making it a home to 85 vulnerable children.
He further submitted that the complainant was until they year 2020 an employee in the Children’s home before his contract was terminated, adding that the complainant started reclaiming the land after he was dismissed.
While pleading for leniency on behalf of the accused, the lawyer told the court that the accused person is not a man of means and solely relies on the donations of the well-wishers.
He added that the incarceration of the accused will adversely affect the 85 children under his care.
“The accused has a fixed abode and has been in the country for more than ten years, he also lives with 85 children in the organization’s premises therefore he cannot escape the jurisdiction of the country,” the lawyer told the court.
The prosecution however disputed, saying the accused has been non-cooperative and was a flight risk since he is a foreigner. They further said he was likely to interfere with the witnesses.
The trial magistrate however dismissed the alleged witness interference allegations, stating that the issues raised were not justifiable since no supporting affidavit was filed.
“The issues raised by the complainant are unsubstantiated allegations that can only be treated as speculations since no supporting affidavit has been filed to support the same. The accused person is released on Sh200,000 cash bail and one Kenyan contact person,” Magistrate Lucas Onyina ruled.
On May 23 another Bishop was also also charged in a Kisii court for defrauding his unsuspecting followers of over Sh5 million by purporting that he would help them relocate to the US.
Bishop Samson Obonyo of the Pentecostal Evangelical Church of Africa (PEFA) church was also charged with seven counts before Magistrate Wa Kugwa Wahinya. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a bond of Sh3million.
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