NAIROBI November 26 – A sales and marketing manager at Coopers Motors Corporation (CMC) was on Wednesday charged with the theft of Ranger Rover worth Sh18 million that was reportedly ordered by former President Daniel arap Moi.
John Roy Kyalo was charged before the Makadara Acting Senior Principal Magistrate Edward Muriithi for the offence allegedly committed between November 8 and 10, with others already before court.
He denied the charge and was released on a bond of Sh1 million and two sureties of the same amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh200,000 ahead of the hearing slated for January 6.
The charge sheet filed in court indicated: “Between November 8 and 10, 2008 at CMC along Lusaka Road in Industrial area within Nairobi area province Nairobi, with others before court being a servant of the said CMC stole from the said company a motor vehicle make Range Rover, unregistered and valued at Sh18 million which came into your possession by virtue of your employment.”
Two weeks ago, four security guards were charged with failing to safeguard the vehicle which allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The four who were guards at CMC appeared before Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Emily Ominde charged with the offence allegedly committed between the same dates.
The court heard that the accused persons failed to perform their duty which resulted in the disappearance of the vehcile which was reportedly ordered by the former president. The four also denied the charge and were released on similar terms.
The car went missing from the CMC premises on November 8, just before it could be delivered to the former Head of State.
Well placed sources familiar with the car’s ownership told Capital News the top-of-the-range vehicle had been ordered by the former Head of State but it went missing before it could be delivered to him.
When news of its disappearance were publicised in the local press, the former President’s Press Secretary Mr Lee Njiru denied his boss had lost a vehicle but did not offer any further explanation.
It is understood the unregistered vehicle was undergoing final modification to meet the former Head of State’s requirements when it disappeared.
A Range Rover Vogue that resembled the one missing one was briefly impounded by Flying Squad police officers at the Buru Buru police station before it was released to its owner.
The owner who is a city businesswoman explained that she had purchased the vehicle from Agriculture Minister William Ruto and even produced documents to prove it.
Incidentally, that same vehicle was once used by the former Head of State before it was involved in a road accident before being sold to the trader.
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