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Flamboyant Kenyan Bizman arraigned in Tanzania for Money laundering

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By ANDREW TEYIE

flamboyant Kenyan Bizman arraigned in Tanzania for Money launderingFlamboyant Nairobi businessman Don Bosco Gichana was charged in an Arusha court on Friday after two years in custody.

The Sunday Nation has established that Mr Gichana was charged together with his lawyer-friend Median Boastice Mwale for money laundering in a case that has been jumpstarted by the Tanganyika Law Society.

The professional body held an extra-ordinary meeting and cited intimidation of lawyers handling the case in a full-page advertisement in Tanzanian newspapers.

“Of concern is the oppressive manner in which one of our members, Mr Mwale, and his defence lawyers have been handled by law enforcement agencies. The society is distressed that since the accused was arraigned and remanded in custody almost three years and five months ago, the trial against him has not commenced. The accused has been subjected to persecutions rather than prosecution,” said the law society in the advertisement of February 13.

Although Mr Mwale and Mr Gichana jointly face money laundering charges, the latter faces 12 separate counts of forgery and altering documents.

The case has  been stalled by endless adjournments over claims that investigations were incomplete, frequent amendments of charge sheets by adding new counts, new persons enjoined every year and non-appearance without notice by prosecuting State attorneys on scheduled dates.

“The law society is also outraged that the prosecution/ police authorities conducting the case appear to have embarked upon assaulting the independence of the legal profession by intimidating lawyers who have agreed to defend Mr Mwale and his fellow accused (Mr Gichana),” said the lawyers.

A case against Mr Gichana in Dar es Salaam was withdrawn in 2013 before he was rearrested.

The Sunday Nation has learnt of allegations that intimidation and threats by Tanzania police officers have been extended to Mr Gichana’s relatives and friends.

“The past two years have been hell for our family. They have tried to force Don (Mr Gichana) to confess, using intimidation and threats, but my presence at all the meetings makes the police fear,” said Mr Richmond Rayore, a cousin.

WINED AN DINED

At the pinnacle of his success, Mr Gichana wined and dined with the high and mighty in Kenya’s political, business and social class. The youthful Gichana seemed to be a man ahead of his time as he rubbed shoulders with Deputy President William Ruto, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the who-is-who in Kenya.

Mr Gichana caused a stir when he imported a Hummer vehicle which he donated to Mr Raila Odinga for his campaigns in 2007.  Before the 2013 General Election, he campaigned for Jubilee with Mr William Ruto in Kisii, where he unsuccessfully sought the Kitutu Chache South parliamentary seat on a People’s Democratic Party ticket.

His bubble burst on the Easter weekend of 2013, when he travelled to Arusha to visit his friend, Mr Mwale, who had been arrested for alleged money laundering.

Mr Gichana was held at Namanga Police Station for three days before being transferred to Arusha Central Police Station and flown to Dar es Salaam where he was eventually charged with fraud and money laundering.

According to court records in Dar es Salaam, Mr Gichana was released and rearrested to face Sh400 million fraud charges in Arusha after the court dropped money laundering charges.

Principal resident magistrate Ilvin Mugeta reached the decision after a request from the prosecution, represented by senior state attorney Tumanini Kweka.

But Mr Gichana was immediately re-arrested and sent to Arusha where he was expected to be enjoined with others on the same charges. It was alleged that between November 2009 and August 2010 in Nairobi, Arusha and Dar es Salaam, he conspired with others to launder money.

It was further alleged that, within the same period and places, the accused deposited to Arusha forged US Treasury cheques amounting to $4,940,363 (Sh7.9 billion).

The accused denied the non-bailable offence and has been in custody since.

A court document seen by the Sunday Nation and which forms the backbone of the defence team, claims Gichana did not withdraw the money.

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Don-Bosco-Gichana-Arusha-Tanzania-Money-Laundering/-/1056/2639046/-/bx0kdb/-/index.html

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