City advocate Stephen Ndeda has been thrust back into the spotlight after being charged with multiple criminal offenses, including money laundering, forgery, and the use of falsified documents.
Ndeda, a well-known Nairobi lawyer who operates under Ndeda & Company Advocates, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa at the Kahawa Law Courts, where he denied all charges.
The charges stem from what investigators describe as a suspicious international transaction involving USD 52,490 (approximately KSh 6.7 million) sent from a Bulgarian company.
Alleged Money Laundering Scheme
According to the charge sheet, on June 20, 2023, Ndeda allegedly received the funds through account number 55030130004234 held at UBA Bank, Upper Hill Branch, under his law firm’s name. The prosecution alleges that he accepted the funds while knowing or having reason to believe they were proceeds of crime.
Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) claim the funds were wired by a foreign entity identified as Algans EOOD, a Bulgarian-based company. The funds were allegedly linked to a purported land transaction that the DCI says was used to mask the movement of illicit funds.
As per the documents presented in court, Ndeda & Company Advocates acted as the legal representative for both the vendor and the purchaser in a deal involving Land Parcel Number KJD/KEEKONYOKIE/ILKISUMET/3371, valued at KSh 60 million.
The agreement allegedly stipulated that an initial deposit of KSh 5 million would be paid within 90 days. However, investigators say the deposit came from a different company — Algans EOOD — whose address traces back to Sofia, Bulgaria.
Forgery and Uttering False Documents
In addition to money laundering, Ndeda faces counts of forgery and uttering a false document.
The prosecution alleges that on the same date, June 20, 2023, at UBA Bank’s Upper Hill branch, Ndeda fraudulently presented a forged sale agreement to a client identified as Calvins Gwaro Nyamwange, purporting it to be a genuine document signed by Andrew Immanuel Simiyu, the alleged vendor of the property.
Further, on June 14, 2023, at his View Park Towers office in Nairobi’s Central Business District, Ndeda is said to have fabricated a sale agreement between Simiyu and Alguns Limited, falsely representing it as an authentic document.
The DCI alleges that Alguns Limited, which was listed as the purchaser in the forged documents, is an international arms trading company, raising suspicions that the funds involved may be tied to a global money-laundering and arms-smuggling syndicate.
DCI’s Findings and Bank Red Flag
The DCI’s financial crimes unit told the court that the funds were flagged by the UBA Bank compliance team for potential money-laundering activity. Following a compliance review, the bank reversed the transaction and returned the funds to the sender, citing violations of anti-money laundering (AML) protocols and suspicious transaction reporting (STR) obligations.
The DCI stated that this reversal further substantiates their claim that Ndeda knowingly attempted to conceal the source of the illicit funds under the guise of a legal property transaction.
Previous Run-ins with the Law
The court also heard that Ndeda was previously charged with threatening to kill, but was quietly acquitted by a Makadara Court under unclear circumstances. Legal observers say this background adds to concerns over the integrity of his professional conduct and possible manipulation of judicial processes.
At the Kahawa Law Courts, Ndeda was released on a KSh 1 million bond or a cash bail of KSh 200,000 pending hearing and determination of the case.
Public and Legal Reactions
The charges against Ndeda have sparked renewed debate within the legal community about ethical compliance among advocates and the use of law firms as conduits for illicit financial flows.
Legal experts warn that such cases erode public confidence in Kenya’s justice system and the integrity of the legal profession.
The case will be mentioned later this month for a pre-trial hearing, as the prosecution continues to gather additional evidence linking the funds to international money-laundering networks.