An Italian national, Girola Fiorenzo, has testified in a fraud case in Kilifi County, revealing how he was swindled of Ksh 15 million by two fellow Italians, Daniele Lo Coco and Massimo Nativi.
Fiorenzo, who was initially drawn to Kenya for holidays in 2019, later visited Watamu, where he booked a villa at Rafiki Village.
During his stay in Watamu, Fiorenzo met Lo Coco and Nativi, managers at Rafiki Village, who convinced him to buy a villa in the village.
On February 29, 2020, in Italy, Fiorenzo signed an agreement to purchase the villa for 120,000 Euros (about Ksh 15 million) and paid a deposit. They agreed that the remaining balance would be paid within a year.
“On 29th February 2020, we met at Mr Lo Coco’s house in Italy where I entered into an agreement to purchase the villa at 120,000 Euros and I paid the deposit and we agreed that I pay the rest within a period of one year,” he told the court before Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki.
Fiorenzo made several payments to the accused: 5,000 Euros in cash in Italy, followed by 15,000 Euros via bank transfer to DTB Bank in Malindi, then 30,000 Euros, and 45,000 Euros in the same month.
In September 2020, he paid an additional 20,000 Euros in cash. Finally, in February 2021, he deposited 5,000 Euros to Lo Coco’s bank account. However, despite these payments, Fiorenzo has never received the villa’s ownership documents.
“I paid 5,000 Euros to Lo Coco’s DTB bank account in Watamu on 24th February 2021 as the last payment. But I have never been issued with ownership documents,” he testified.
The defense lawyer, Kinyua Kamundi, accused Fiorenzo of lying to police about the amount involved, but Fiorenzo denied the claim.
The two accused are facing fraud charges for obtaining Ksh 17 million from Rita Nappo and Ksh 15 million from Fiorenzo by pretending they could sublease properties in Watamu. They were charged with fraud on various dates between 2018 and 2021.
The court has since ordered the accused to surrender their passports, following suspicions of attempts to leave the country to evade court proceedings.
The hearing continues.
