City Lawyer Stephen Ndeda Charged With Money Laundering And Forgery

City lawyer Stephen Juma Ndeda has been charged with multiple criminal offenses, including money laundering, forgery, and uttering forged documents.

Ndeda appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa at the Kahawa Law Courts, where he denied all charges.

Lawyer Ndeda is accused that on the 20th June 2023, at UBA Kenya Bank Limited Upper hill Branch Nairobi, with intent to dispose- off monies received from a Bulgaria Algans Eood company engaged in a transaction to conceal an amount of USD USD 52,490 (equivalent to Sh 6, 797,455/-).

He received the money through account number 55030130004234 in his law firm Ndeda & Company Advocates whilst having reasons to believe that the said monies were proceeds of crime.

Prosecution told the court that on the 20th June 2023, at UBA Kenya Bank Upper hill Branch Nairobi, knowingly and fraudulently uttered to Calvins Gwaro Nyamwange, a forged sale agreement for Land Parcel number KJD/KEEKONYOKIE/ILKISUMET/3371.

This is by purporting the sale agreement as a genuine sale agreement signed by Andrew Immanuel Simuyu, as a Vendor with intention to defraud.

Ndeda is further accused that on or about 14th June 2023, at Ndeda & Company Advocates office situated at View Park Towers in Nairobi CBD , with intent to defraud forged Sale Agreement for Land Parcel Number KJD/KEEKONYOKIE/ILKISUMET/3371, between Andrew Immanuel Simiyu as the vendor and Alguns Limited as the purchaser, purporting it to be a genuine Sale Agreement signed by Andrew Immanuel Simiyu as the vendor.

He was released on a bond of Sh1 million or cash bail of Sh200,000 pending hearing and determination of the criminal case.

According to the DCI, As per the agreement, Ndeda & Company was stated to be acting on behalf of both the Vendor and the purchaser where the vendor had agreed to sell the property for a price of Sh60 million with Sh5 million being the initial deposit to be paid within 90 days.

DCI further said It was also established that, according to the agreement, the purchaser was Alguns Limited. However, the funds were sent by a different entity in the name of Algans Eood whose address is in Sofia Bulgaria. It was further established that Algun Ltd is a company whose main business is arms trading a fact which led to suspicion of an international syndicate of money laundering and possible arms smuggling.

DCI further indicate funds were wired to the advocate’s Nairobi bank account, which was immediately reversed to the sender on account of non-compliance with the bank’s internal policies and regulatory guidelines on money laundering and reporting of suspicious transactions.