City tycoon Jimi Wanjigi has been sued by businessman Yogesh Patel for allegedly defrauding him of Sh56 million.
In his suit, Mr Patel accuses Jimi Wanjigi, his wife and their two firms of using a shell company to defraud him of the amount that was meant to be a deposit for a controversial piece of land in Westlands, Nairobi.
According to Mr Patel, Aureum Ltd — a company owned by Mr Wanjigi, his wife Irene Nzisa and Augustine Kairo Thuo — agreed to sell him the 0.818-acre prime piece of land for Sh260 million in June last year.
However, Patel claims Aureum Ltd has since transferred the property to someone else and refused to refund his Sh56 million deposit.
Patel has sued through his Kenroid Ltd, which reached the sale agreement. The firm holds that Aureum Ltd was only a shell that received his deposit on behalf of Irene Nzisa Wanjigi, Tyl Ltd — Mr Wanjigi’s firm — and Mr Thuo.
Kenroid adds that the parcel could be a grabbed public utility contained in the 2006 Ndung’u Land Report.
But a check of the disputed piece – LR Number 1870/II/200 – showed it was not among those flagged.
Records show the land was transferred to Cissy Kalunde Musembi, a transaction Patel wants reversed in order to get back his money.
Mr Patel’s Kenroid has also filed a complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which is investigating the transaction.
The defendants have until June 17th to file their responses to the suit.
