The accounts belonging to Kirimi Koome accused of defrauding a Rwandan tech guru of Kshs 391 million will continue to be frozen as court has extended orders on the same.
Justice Alfred Mabeya extended orders stopping Kirimi koome from accessing the funds which are bieng held in his bank account ,until December 20 this year following an extended court dispute where Desire Muhinyuza is accusing him of fraud.
The judge explained that he will want to hear the matter expeditiously.In the case, the suspect, Koome the former Director of Stay Online Limited is charged with allegedly stealing Ksh 391 million belonging to Muhiyunza.
According to Muhinyuza, the money was intended to be invested in Kenyan Stay Online Limited business, a business he believed would be able to employ thousands of Kenyans who will be able to earn a living by selling their products in the comfort of their houses using their smartphones or laptops.
Koome, the accused, was a director of Stay Online Limited and he faces criminal charges of conspiring with others yet to be arrested to defraud the Muhiyunza a Rwandan-based businessman USD 2,619,583.27 (approximately Sh 391million).
Koome’s accounts believed to be containing the Ksh 391 million and domiciled at Equity Bank Limited in Meru were frozen on September 18, 2023.
When the matter came up for directions today, the court ordered that all files touching on the matter be consolidated.
Muhinyuza and Koome are battling over the ownership of SOL, Kenya. While Koome contends that he is the sole owner of the company, Muyihunza explained that the accused was only employed as SOL Kenya’s proxy owner to beat the complexities of registering a business by foreigners.
Koome is accused of scheming to defraud Muhinyuza, who is the beneficial owner of Stay Online Limited, of USD 2,619,583.27 in merchant funds by falsely claiming to own the money.
Koome was charged last month in a criminal court where he reportedly committed the alleged crimes on diverse dates between July 10 and October 4 this year.
The businessman was also charged with making away with KSh 14,945,000 property of Stay Online Limited, which had been entrusted to him to make payment of provision of taxes for the said company.
Koome was charged after a warrant of arrest was issued against him following an application by Muhinyuza’s lawyer, Danstan Omari, and state prosecutor James Gachoka.
They both argued before the court that the interests of investors needed to be safeguarded in the case. Omari said the funds in question were linked to merchants using Koome’s online platform, Stay Online Limited (SOL), to market their products.
