In a high-stakes legal battle, Stephen Juma Ndeda, a renowned advocate of the High Court, has been arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court at Kahawa on charges of forgery, uttering forged documents, and money laundering.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), following a tip-off on June 26, 2023, that linked Ndeda to an alleged multi-million dollar land deal.
The DCI’s Financial Investigations Unit uncovered that Ndeda’s law firm, Ndeda & Company, had received a staggering USD 52,490,000 through wired transfers purportedly as payment for a 50-acre parcel of land in Kajiado County.
The deal, according to the sale agreement, was between vendor Andrew Simiyu and purchaser Alguns Limited.
However, the twist came when the funds were traced to a completely different entity—Algans Eood, based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
“Suspicion arose when it was revealed that Algun Limited’s main business is arms trading,” noted an investigator.
“This discovery fueled concerns of a possible international money laundering syndicate or arms smuggling ring.”
Ndeda’s Nairobi bank account received the funds, but the transfer was flagged and reversed for non-compliance with banking regulations on money laundering and suspicious transactions.
Further investigations revealed that the sale agreement, allegedly signed by Andrew Simiyu, was a forgery.
Simiyu denied having any knowledge of the agreement or authorizing the sale of his land.
“I did not sign that document. I have no idea about any sale of my land,” Simiyu asserted, disputing the entire transaction.
“The magnitude of this case highlights the growing sophistication of financial crimes involving legal professionals,” commented a source close to the case.
Ndeda now faces the full force of the law, with potential consequences that could reshape his legal career and expose deep-seated corruption in Kenya’s land and financial sectors.
