The plea hearing for eight suspects accused of conspiring to defraud Kenya Airways of property worth over Sh521 million—Hassan Ahmed Haffidh, Elijah Itegi Githinji, Deeraj Vaghela Baghel, Dutta Binay Kumar, Grace Wamuyu Mathenge, Jane Wanjiru Kiboi, Jackson Kiruthi Njiiri, and Elias Kyalo Ngao—has been postponed by a Nairobi court.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Senior On June 21, Principal Magistrate Stella Mutuku directed the prosecution to submit a revised charge sheet. The accused were granted release on a bond of Sh2 million or a cash bail of Sh300,000 each.
“I order the accused to be released on a bond of Sh2 million or a cash bail of Sh300,000 and direct the prosecution to present an amended charge sheet on June 21,” Magistrate Mutuku stated.
Additionally, because five of the accused—Deeraj Vaghela Baghel, Dutta Binay Kumar, Grace Wamuyu Mathenge, Jane Wanjiru Kiboi, and Elias Kyalo Ngao—failed to show up in court to enter pleas, the court issued arrest warrants against them. The accused, Hassan Ahmed Haffidh, presented a High Court order barring the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from prosecuting him over the matter. The magistrate instructed the prosecution to confirm the order’s legitimacy.
Charges and Allegations
According to the charge sheet, the suspects allegedly committed the offence between January 2013 and December 2015. They are accused of engaging in fraudulent cash transactions at Dubai Bank in Nairobi, which caused Kenya Airways to lose Sh521,933,870. Additionally, Elijah Itegi Githinji and Hassan Ahmed Haffidh face two extra counts of stealing Sh16 million, also said to be property of the national carrier.
Out of the eight accused, only Elijah Itegi Githinji and Jackson Kiruthi Njiiri were arraigned in court during the latest proceedings. However, they did not take a plea.
Next Court Date
The case is scheduled to resume on June 21, when the amended charge sheet will be presented.
