The director of Goldenscape Greenhouse Limited Peter Wangai Muriithi was Thursday charged before a Nairobi court with obtaining millions from investors by false pretense. The company promised investors high returns for investing in greenhouses.
Mr Wangai denied a total of 21 counts when he appeared before chief magistrate Martha Mutuku. Through his company, he is accused of luring people to invest in greenhouses that were to be set up in among other areas, Ol Kalou and Nyahururu in Nyandarua county.
The company raised money from hundreds of investors, with some of them petitioning the government to help them recover their investment since last year after they failed to get the returns they were promised.
One of the charges stated that Mr Wangai obtained Sh1.04 million from Eunice Mosiara on diverse dates between January 31 and September 19, 2019.
It is alleged that he received the money at his Goldenscape offices at Kimathi House in Nairobi for three greenhouses and falsely pretended that he was in position to pay her a retrun of Sh275,000 for each greenhouse after every six months.
The court also heard that he obtained Sh1.99 million from Alice Waithera on July 12, 2019, for five greenhouses. He also obtained Sh640,000 from Abner Michieka and later issued him with a bad cheque of Sh275,000.
Mr Wangai allegedly obtained Sh1,840,000 from Douglas Ng’ang’a for four greenhouses.
Through their lawyer, the investors who lost their money pleaded with the court to compel him to deposit his passport in court, saying he was likely to flee the country. The court further heard that two other directors of the company have allegedly fled the country to South Africa.
While opposing the plea, Mr Wangai’s lawyer dismissed the allegations saying he was the sole director of Goldenscape.
The court directed him to deposit a bond of Sh5 million with one surety or alternative cash bail of Sh2 million to secure his release.
The court also directed him to deposit his passport in court but he can apply for it whenever he needs to travel outside the country. The case will be mentioned on April 1.
