A politician and Businessman Steve Okute has suffered a blow after the court authorized the opening of the sealed cash box in his possession.
Okute is charged alongside businessman Bruno Otieno Orienda with Sh 12.7 Million gold fraud.
When the matter came before magistrate Susan Shitubi for ruling, she directed police to return personal items belonging to the accused persons which did not form part of evidence.
Shitubi also authorized the police to open the sealed cash or till box in possession of Okute.
“I authorize the DCI to obtain a search warrant to access, seize the content in the box to enable the police complete investigation into the matter, “ruled Shitubi.
The ruling was delivered after DCI filed a miscellaneous application seeking to be allowed to open the said box.
They also sought court orders for Okute to be present during the exercise to be carried out at the applicants offices at Old Nairobi Area and witness the opening/break TVing into the sealed cash till box containing unknown contents.
Detectives told the court that Okute was arrested on 3rd February 2023 within Nairobi County on suspicion of having committed an offence of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of the Penal Code and subsequently charged before court.
“The respondent (Seth Okute) is alleged to have received USD 100,000 in his account at 1&M Bank on 11th September, 2022 in a case reported by a complainant Marjorie Grant from USA through an email addressed to the DCI and booked at Capitol Hill Police station vide OB No. 19/26/01/2023. Upon search during his arrest, several items were seized and an inventory was done which included a blue colored sealed cash/till box with unknown contents.
Okute was informed by the DCI to open the sealed cash/till box, but claimed he had misplaced the key and later alleged that it belonged to a customer. He has never availed himself.
The accused is alleged to have lured the complainant Marjorie Grant to his JKIA office to assist in the shipment of 33kgs of gold allegedly held at Nairobi customs offices from Burkina Faso.
