The testimony was presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi as the prosecution continued leading evidence in the case involving the alleged misappropriation of more than Ksh356 million.
Witness alleges company funds were deposited into personal accounts
One of the prosecution witnesses, Sameer Kewal Ramani, told the court that company funds were regularly deposited into Honey Khatwani’s Ecobank accounts in both Kenya shillings and US dollars.
According to the witness, once cash deposits were made, copies of the deposit slips were forwarded to Khatwani through WhatsApp.
Ramani further testified that several cheques issued by clients in favour of Oki Company were allegedly deposited into Khatwani’s personal bank accounts instead of the company’s accounts.
He told the court that the transactions were reflected in an audit report prepared during investigations.
“So many cheques are there from the client’s bank, which have gone to his personal accounts,” the witness testified.
Court hears claims involving family accounts
The witness also alleged that part of the money was transferred to Khatwani’s wife through her M-Pesa account.
Although he acknowledged that he did not personally obtain the M-Pesa records, he maintained that the transactions were documented in the audit report.
According to the witness, investigators would be able to verify the transactions from the audit records presented in court.
Employees allegedly shared reports through WhatsApp
Ramani further told the court that employees routinely sent daily financial and operational reports to Khatwani through WhatsApp.
He alleged that Khatwani would alter the reports before forwarding them elsewhere.
When asked why the discrepancies were not reported internally, the witness claimed senior company officials were Khatwani’s brothers, making it difficult for employees to raise concerns.
Former employee testifies on employment conditions
Another prosecution witness, who said he joined Oki Company in July 2023, testified about his employment conditions.
He told the court that he initially worked without a work permit and had requested Khatwani to process one for him.
When questioned about documentary proof, the witness said some communications were conducted verbally rather than through emails.
“I am the eyewitness. Not everything is done through emails—some things are done through calls,” he said.
The witness also testified that although he signed an employment contract, he did not retain a copy.
He further claimed that employees were paid in cash and that he never received payslips despite requesting salary payments through a bank account.
According to the witness, Khatwani also failed to facilitate his work permit.
Allegations of threats and client confusion
The witness further alleged that Khatwani pressured him to continue working through verbal threats, although he acknowledged he had no documentary evidence to support the claim.
He also claimed that Khatwani personally contacted clients and presented both Oki Company and another business as the same entity.
According to the witness, several customers later complained after becoming confused about the businesses they were dealing with.
Audit report cited as key evidence
The prosecution also relied on evidence contained in an audit report, which witnesses said highlighted discrepancies in company revenue, collections, and expenditure.
The witnesses maintained that the report documented alleged irregularities involving client payments and company financial records.
Honey Khatwani faces allegations of orchestrating a scheme that resulted in more than Ksh356 million being diverted from Oki Company through falsified records and the alleged misuse of client funds.
The case will be mentioned again on September 29, when the prosecution is expected to continue presenting additional witnesses.
