Suspects in Sh109.7M NLC land scam beg state for forgiveness

Five Suspects implicated in the national land commission saga have decided the best way to go by is the real world where it is estimated that 90 to 95 per cent of state court cases ends in plea bargains.

This is after the DPP pulled a watertight case against them and vowed to leave no stone unturned.

The five accused persons arrested alongside national Land Commission former chairman Muhammad Swazuri who were linked to fraudulent compensation of land for the construction of the Mombasa Southern Bypass and Kipevu New Highway Container Terminal link road in 2013, have written to the director of public prosecution requesting for a plea negotiation.

Muhammad Swazuri.

According to a statement from the DPPs office, the five accused persons are willing to refund the monies paid to them since they didn’t know they were proceeds of crime.

The five also requested the charges against them be dropped.

The scenario began in 2013 when the national land commission was tasked with acquiring the piece of land in question on behalf of the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) which belonged to Tornado Carriers Limited.

Initially, the land was valued at Sh34,501,110 in 2015 but the commission ended up paying Sh109,769,363 after Dr Swazuri ordered a second valuation.

State prosecutor Victor Owiti had alleged that the crimes committed by the accused were grave mistakes given that they affected a large population who risk death for lack of basic necessities which had been misappropriated through stealing of public funds.

Corruption kills. Is that not obvious?

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