At least six Kenyans are facing the possible loss of property worth millions of shillings after the High Court ordered the freezing of several parcels of land, luxury vehicles and other assets suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The orders were issued by the High Court's Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division in three separate cases following applications by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), which sought to prevent the owners from selling, transferring or disposing of the assets.
Among the affected assets are three parcels of land in Nyeri County, seven motor vehicles, a trailer and a shipping container, with the court directing that they remain preserved pending further legal proceedings.
In one of the cases, Justice Benjamin Musyoki ordered the freezing of two parcels of land in the Aguthi/Gatitu area and another in Mweiga/Kamatongu, alongside a Toyota Axio registered to one of the respondents.
Entrance to Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi.
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The Judiciary of Kenya
The judge also ordered that any rental income, profits or other benefits generated from the three properties be deposited into an account held by ARA pending the determination of a forfeiture application.
"A Preservation Order be and is hereby issued preserving any rental income, benefit, or profit accruing from the properties above," the court order reads in part.
The affected property owners were further directed to surrender their original land ownership documents within seven days of being served, while one of the respondents was ordered to hand over the vehicle's logbook, ignition keys and the car itself to ARA.
In another case, the High Court froze five vehicles, including two Mercedes-Benz cars, a Toyota Corolla Axio, a Nissan Dayz and a Mazda CX-5, prohibiting their owners from selling, transferring or otherwise dealing with them.
The court also ordered the surrender of the Mazda CX-5 and its original logbook within seven days, warning that ARA would be allowed to seize the vehicle if the respondents failed to comply.
Separately, Justice Rose Ougo ordered the preservation of a Scania truck, a trailer and a shipping container linked to a freight and forwarding business, authorising ARA investigators to seize the assets and place them under the agency's management.
The orders, issued between October 2 and October 16, were subsequently published in three separate Gazette notices on Friday, October 23, under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The court also directed the relevant authorities to register restrictions against the affected land and vehicles to prevent ownership transfers.
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CapitalFM