An accountant, a bank agent, and another individual have been charged before a Nairobi court over the alleged theft of more than Sh21 million from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in a scheme said to have been executed over nearly two years.
The accused persons are Joshua Kipruto Ng’etich, an accountant, Ernest Njenga Thiiru, a bank agent, Derrick Kiprono Ng’eno, as well as two companies—Newmark Business Solutions Limited and Blue North Solutions Limited.
They appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Ben-Mark Ekhubi, where they pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of stealing and forgery.
Alleged Theft by Employees
According to the prosecution, Joshua Kipruto Ng’etich and Ernest Njenga Thiiru are accused of stealing Sh13,756,798, money belonging to the African Airlines Association, which allegedly came into their possession by virtue of their employment.
The prosecution contends that the two abused their positions of trust to unlawfully divert the association’s funds for personal gain.
Additional Charges Against Other Accused
Derrick Kiprono Ng’eno and Newmark Business Solutions Limited are separately accused of stealing USD 35,520, approximately Sh4.5 million, from the association.
Further, Ng’etich and Blue North Solutions Limited are charged with stealing an additional Sh4,220,069, also belonging to the African Airlines Association.
Collectively, the alleged thefts bring the total disputed amount to over Sh21 million.
Forgery Allegations
In addition to the theft charges, Ng’etich is also accused of forgery.
The court heard that he allegedly forged a memorandum of association for Blue North Solutions Limited, falsely purporting it to have been duly signed by Symon Peter Cheruiyot, with the intent to deceive.
Prosecutors allege the forged document was used to facilitate fraudulent transactions and conceal the alleged theft.
Period and Location of the Offences
The charge sheet states that the offences were committed on diverse dates between January 1, 2022, and November 21, 2023, at the African Airlines Association offices in South C, Nairobi, and at other locations within the country.
Plea and Bail Terms
All the accused persons denied the charges.
In his ruling on bail, Magistrate Ben-Mark Ekhubi granted:
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Joshua Kipruto Ng’etich and Ernest Njenga Thiiru a bond of Sh600,000 each
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Derrick Kiprono Ng’eno a bond of Sh1 million, with an alternative cash bail of Sh300,000
The corporate accused persons were similarly released on bond terms pending further court directions.
The case will be mentioned on a later date for pre-trial directions.