High Court Registrar Jailed Over Missing Sh13.3 Million in Dubai Mall Heist Case

Nairobi, January 16, 2025 – Joseph Kiverenge, a Deputy Registrar at the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC), has been sentenced to seven days in prison after failing to produce Sh13.3 million in evidence linked to the notorious 2018 Dubai Mall Heist.

The funds were pivotal evidence in an appeal at the Milimani Law Courts, where the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) contested the acquittal of Rebecca Mueni Musau and George Gitau Maina, accused of stealing Sh140 million (approximately 5 million Dirhams) from Transguard Company in Dubai.

Kiverenge was tasked with safeguarding the money, which was seized by police from the suspects upon their arrest in Kenya. However, when the High Court, under Justice Alexander Muteti, demanded the exhibit for verification during the appeal process, Kiverenge could not comply. Despite being given until January 3, 2025, to present the money, his excuse that the key to the safe was with an absent junior staff member did not sway the court.

Mueni and Maina were acquitted in July 2024 by Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki due to insufficient evidence. The magistrate’s ruling pointed out that the primary thief was already jailed in Dubai, and the Kenyan suspects should have been tried there. However, with the appeal, the verification of the exhibit was crucial.

Kiverenge’s defense through his lawyer, Stanley Kang’ahi, was that the money was secure but inaccessible due to the absence of the key holder. However, Ishmael Nyaribo, representing Mueni, insisted on immediate verification, highlighting the importance of the funds to the case.

George Gitau Maina, one of the suspects in the Dubai Mall heist of 2018, at Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi. Gitau was acquitted last year for lack of evidence.

After repeated failures to produce the money, Justice Muteti sentenced Kiverenge to jail for contempt of court on January 3, 2025. Kiverenge served his sentence at Industrial Area Remand Prison, with his release on January 10, 2025.

Justice Muteti has also ordered an investigation into why Kiverenge could not facilitate the court’s directive, aiming to ensure accountability in judicial handling of evidence.

This case has sparked discussions on the management of evidence within the judiciary, especially in high-profile cases involving significant sums of money. Kiverenge is scheduled for further court directions on January 13, 2025.