By TONY MUSISI
An arrest warrant issued against former Uasin Gishu County Lands Registrar Tom Mainja Chepkwesi over an alleged felony will remain in force, an Eldoret court has ruled.
Senior Resident Magistrate Rodger Otieno extended the warrant after Chepkwesi failed to appear in court for the 30th time.
Chepkwesi is charged alongside Veronica Chepkirui Koskei, a primary school teacher, over the alleged fraudulent registration of a prime 17-acre parcel of land valued at more than Sh25 million in the name of his co-accused.
The property, identified as Uasin Gishu/Kahugura/396, is located in the Kipkabus area of Ainabkoi Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County.
According to the charge sheet, the two accused persons allegedly committed the offence on January 23, 2008, jointly with others who have not been charged in the case.
While Koskei has consistently attended court sessions since the case began, Chepkwesi has never appeared either physically or virtually.
“Since the first accused person has failed to turn up in court, the warrants issued against him would remain in force and could be extended,” Otieno said in his ruling.
Earlier, the State Counsel informed the court that Chepkwesi was absent despite being aware that the matter had been scheduled for plea-taking.
The prosecution subsequently asked the court to extend the arrest warrant against the former lands registrar, who has remained at large for more than 10 years.
Otieno agreed with the prosecution and extended the warrant, directing police to arrest Chepkwesi and present him before the court to answer to the charges.
The magistrate noted that the case against the two accused persons had not commenced because of Chepkwesi’s continued failure to appear in court.
The former lands registrar is accused of fraudulently registering the multi-million-shilling property in the name of his co-accused while serving as the lands registrar in Eldoret.
The alleged offence dates back 17 years.
The prosecution has lined up four key witnesses, including Ambrose Kipngetich Koech, the registered owner of the parcel at the centre of the dispute, and the investigating officer, Police Constable Madegwa of Naiberi Police Station.
The warrant will remain in force pending Chepkwesi’s arrest and appearance before the court.
