A director at Oki Trading Kenya Limited has narrated in court how a former director allegedly siphoned more than Ksh 356 million from the company before resigning and setting up a rival business.
While testifying before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego, Mr. Deepak Rajoria, now a director at Oki Trading Kenya Limited, detailed how the accused, Honey Khatwani, systematically misappropriated company funds over a four-year period.
“I was an employee of the mother company based in Dubai, and when I came to Kenya, I was appointed as a director of the company,” Rajoria told the court.
He said he joined the company’s Kenya office in January 2024 and soon discovered significant financial irregularities, including missing documents and unexplained gaps in the accounts.
Rajoria identified Khatwani as a former director of Oki Trading who held that position until July 2024.
He told the court that upon noticing discrepancies, the company engaged auditors to investigate the matter.
The audit report revealed that between 2021 and 2024, the company had lost approximately Ksh 356,711,806.
“We noticed funds and important documents were missing. When we brought in an auditor, it was concluded that over Ksh 356 million had been lost during the period from 2021 to 2024,” said Rajoria.
According to the testimony, Khatwani, an Indian national, is accused of diverting company funds to facilitate the operations of Galaxy Middle East Africa Limited, a business he registered jointly with another former employee, shortly before resigning from Oki Trading.
The court heard that some company funds and client cheques were allegedly deposited directly into Khatwani’s personal account, as well as M-Pesa accounts belonging to him and his wife.
It was further alleged that Khatwani generated fake invoices, manipulating the amounts received from clients and under-declaring actual payments made to the company.
The prosecution has charged him with stealing USD 2,786,174.40 (approximately Ksh 356,711,806), money that came into his possession by virtue of his position at Oki Trading Kenya Limited.
The alleged offences took place between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2024, at the company’s offices located in Barbado area, Nairobi County.
The court also heard that the stolen funds originally belonged to OKI General Trading Limited, the parent company based in Dubai.
The matter has been adjourned and is set to continue on September 26, 2025.
