The plea-taking of businessman Howard Mugambi Mururu, who is facing charges related to a Ksh 50 million land fraud, has been postponed by the Milimani Law Courts.
Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi deferred the proceedings after the defense counsel argued that key matters concerning the ownership and legitimacy of the land title are still pending in the High Court.
Mugambi stands accused of conspiring to defraud Sammy Komen Mwaita of a valuable parcel of land by falsely claiming that his company, Mart Properties, was the legitimate owner.
The defense highlighted that the issue of title legitimacy is currently under review in a civil court, making it premature for the criminal case to proceed.
In a separate charge, Mugambi is accused of obtaining registration by false pretenses.
The prosecution alleges that on December 17, 2021, Mugambi deceitfully secured the transfer of the disputed land from Mart Properties to himself at Ardhi House in Nairobi, fully aware that the registration was based on fraudulent claims.
The court has scheduled September 2nd as the date to decide whether Mugambi will be required to take his plea.
The deferment is intended to give the defense more time to address the unresolved civil matters in the High Court, which could influence the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
