EACC files suit to recover Sh70m land for govt houses – Shanzu, Mombasa County

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has gone to court in its bid to recover a parcel of land valued at Sh70 million in Shanzu, Mombasa County. The commission claims the property was reserved for construction of government houses.

The authority has sued Mehasani Hatibu Mwinyihaji and the Chief Land Registrar, whom it claims jointly facilitated and participated in a corrupt enterprise with the aim of fraudulently acquiring public property from the government. According to the EACC, a letter of allotment was issued to one Mehasani Hatibu Mwinyihaji in respect to the land measuring approximately 0.4 hectares, before a 99-year lease from 1999 was granted.

EACC argues that the chief land registrar, as a public officer, was negligent, thus leading to illegal and fraudulent acquisition of the land to the detriment of the government.

Justice Anne Omollo declined to issue a temporary injunction to restrain Mr Mwinyihaji from dealing with the land. She directed that the suit documents be served to the defendants and set November 12 as the date for hearing an application for the grant of temporary orders of injunction.

[Full article on: The Daily Nation, Story by Philip Muyanga]