Court told how Former Oki director Honey Khatwani threatened employees and intimidated them so as not to reveal the then fraud.
When the matter came for hearing yesterday, two key witnesses gave damning testimony linking him to a multi-million-shilling fraud scheme.
Katwani is facing charges of defrauding the company more than Sh356million during his tenure as director, with the prosecution alleging that the funds were siphoned through fake invoices, black-market dealings, and later funneled into new companies he established.
Oki employee Jatin Aswani told Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego that while working under Katwani, he uncovered irregularities in company sales, which directly pointed to financial mismanagement.
He further testified that his life was put at risk after Katwani allegedly issued death threats. Aswani added that Katwani had taken away his passport and ignored his pleas, forcing him to seek help from the police, though no action was taken.
Supporting this account, former sales executive and accountant Karan Badlani told the court that between 2020 and 2024, Katwani subjected staff to constant intimidation, including confiscation of their passports and coercion to seek work permits. He said the threats eventually compelled him to leave the company.
The witnesses also alleged that the money Katwani siphoned from Oki was squandered on gambling activities, crippling the firm’s operations. They further claimed that after exiting Oki, Katwani opened another company, Galaxy, where he transferred funds, and later set up a pseudo firm that is allegedly being used to channel more money.
The prosecution argued that the testimonies paint a consistent picture of a director who abused his position to defraud the company and intimidate employees into silence.
Magistrate Alego directed that the hearing continues tomorrow, with more witnesses expected to testify in support of the prosecution’s case.
