Mombasa tycoon Mohammed Bajaber was speechless on January 29, after two of his sons were arrested and arraigned at the Shanzu Law Courts for allegedly stealing Ksh50 million meant for people living with disabilities.
The two - Sheikh Yassir Bajaber and Abdalla Salim Bajaber - are accused of diverting cash donated by wellwishers for children with disabilities and other needy families at the Sahanajad Special School and Premji Farming Feeding Centre in Mtwapa, Kilifi County.
According to the charge sheet read out before Shanzu Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo, Yassir and Salim alongside others not before the court reportedly stole Ksh50 million which they were supposed to deliver to a Mohamed Amir - the administrator of the two institutions.
"Later on the same day, their mobile phones were switched off. Efforts to reach them were unsuccessful for some days and they never delivered the donation," Amir's statement to the police reads in part.
Police reports further claimed that the two suspects went on a crazy spending spree after receiving the cash, going on to buy a Toyota Axio valued at Ksh1.2 million, a sum they allegedly coughed up in cash.
The prosecutor, Eric Masila, told the court that the vehicle was bought on January 21, at Trade AT (K) Ltd in Mombasa.
He further claimed that the two were part of an elaborate car theft syndicate that ran across various countries such as South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
During their arrest, the two were allegedly found in possession of bhang valued at Ksh46,920, leading to the addition of drug trafficking charges on their rap sheet.
Police caught up with the brothers at Emilia Apartments in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, where a rifle and 44 bullets were also recovered.
However, the suspects' lawyer, Boaz Adall, was able to secure a bond for the two with Magistrate Odhiambo releasing each on a Ksh15 million bond with an alternative cash bail of Ksh10 million.
The case is set to be mentioned on February 14.
