A man believed to be one of the directors of the company linked with the demolition of a mansion in Westlands, Nairobi on November 4 has been released.
Nathaniel Kipkemboi Barmasai had been arrested on Sunday, November 13, in Eldoret and brought to Nairobi for arraignment in court on Monday.
Barmasai, a director of a real estate company listed as the one claiming ownership of the house that was demolished, was released on a cash bail of Ksh2 million by a court in Nairobi.
The suspect was freed after pleading not guilty to a robbery with violence charge in which he is accused of violently robbing Niraj Shah and Avani Shah of goods worth Ksh18 million.
The company was registered in 2002 and has four directors who were not arrested and were therefore not in court
The other three directors were summoned for grilling and possible prosecution by the Land Fraud Unit at DCI headquarters over the matter.
The demolition of the Ksh80 million home was occasioned by a dispute between the couple and the real estate company, involving a one-acre prime parcel of land located along School Lane in Westlands, Nairobi.
The development came days after the High Court in Nairobi released Zachary Baraza, the auctioneer who effected the eviction and demotion of the the Ksh80 million home.
Baraza was arrested and presented in court before being released on a cash bail of Ksh200,000.
When issuing the orders, the judge ordered Baraza to report to the investigating officer whenever he is summoned to do so.
Furthermore, the prosecution had asked the court to allow investigators to access the demolished property so as to quantify the damage and create an inventory of items allegedly stolen from the house during the demolition.
The demolition drew mixed reactions with Azimio leader Raila Odinga accusing President William Ruto's government of abetting crime.
“A general sense of lawlessness is taking shape. Our security appears to have deteriorated overnight, with widespread incidents of daylight crimes, making families lose their loved ones to thugs in broad daylight particularly in Nairobi,” statedOdinga.
