A 66-year-old man accused of swindling another individual out of Sh2.5 million in a fraudulent housing scheme has been released on bail.
Zablon Rashid Minyonga appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, where he faced charges of obtaining money by false pretences.
The prosecution told the court that between March 2019 and September 2022, Minyonga allegedly obtained the money from David Mogunde Okachi after falsely claiming he would sell him two houses in Soweto East Zone ‘A’, Nairobi.
Through his lawyer, Minyonga urged the court to grant him reasonable bail, arguing that he has been fully cooperative with investigators and poses no risk of absconding.
The defence highlighted that Minyonga, a retired civil servant, has a permanent residence in Nairobi and no intention of fleeing. The court also heard that he retired early on medical grounds and is currently battling prostate cancer, high blood pressure, and chronic back complications.
His lawyer further argued that the dispute stemmed from a failed transaction resulting from a breach of contract, rather than criminal intent.
