Goldenscape Group Limited founder and CEO Peter Wangai Muriithi has been arraigned in court over fraud allegations.
He is accused of defrauding unsuspecting Kenyans of millions of shillings through fake greenhouse investment deals.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku at Milimani Law Courts on Thursday, Wangai was charged with multiple counts of obtaining money by false pretense.
The court heard that Wangai obtained varying amounts of money from various investors between 2019 and 2020, with a promise of earning huge returns on their investments.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges pressed against him and was released on a cash bail of Sh2 million, with the magistrate directing him to deposit his passport with the court after the victims’ lawyer argued that he was a flight risk.
The matter will be mentioned on April 1st, 2020.
Last month, at least 3,000 Kenyans who invested in Goldenscape called for the arrest of the company’s directors after losing a combined Sh18.6 billion.
Led by their chairman John Opanda, the disgruntled investors also threatened to sue the company and its directors Peter Wangai and Irene Mwangi if they fail to refund their money within 30 days.
“We demand that the company takes swift and stern action within 30 days, failure to which we are giving our lawyers instructions to commence private prosecution proceedings,” said Opanda.
In March 2020, DCI detectives raided Goldenscape’s offices in Karen, Nairobi, where five employees were arrested for questioning over the matter. They also seized several documents and 10 desktop computers believed to contain information relevant to the investigation.
Over 100 people accusing Wangai of defrauding them recorded statements with the DCI’s financial crimes investigation unit.
In one of its investment packages, Goldenscape was promising investors annual returns of Sh550,000 for an investment of Sh320,000. Investors were to receive payments twice every year.
It has been two years since the victims invested, yet they have not received any payments to date.
Muriithi kwa Jina lake ni…
Muriithi kwa Jina lake ni Murithi wa Pesa za Wenyewe.
Jail the dude a have him…
Jail the dude a have him subjected to hard labor! I’m tired of these conmen!!
When you want to kill a…
When you want to kill a snake, you cut the head.
START WITH UHURU, RUTO, RAILA ETC.