Driver charged with conspiracy to defraud Ksh.153M

A driver attached to a priest in the middle of a dispute surrounding the ownership of St. Mary’s Mission Hospital has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the institution of over Ksh.153 million.

Seth Manera Bwosi is alleged to have conspired jointly with others not before court of Sh.153,468,000 on diverse dates between December 29, 2017 and January 29, 2018 at Prime Bank, Riverside Branch in Nairobi.

Bwosi, the driver of Dr. William Charles Fryda, a trained oncologist (Cancer specialist) was further charged with an offense of money laundering contrary to section 3(b)(iii) as read with section 16(i)(a) of proceeds of crime and anti-money laundering Act of 2009.

The court heard that on the same date at the said bank, received the above amount which he reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of stealing.

Manera denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku.

Through his lawyer, the court heard that the case is just one among several others revolving around St. Mary’s Hospital.

According to the lawyer, Manera is the third person to be charged with the same offenses.

There is a cases already before court of Dr. Fryda who was charged with forgery in May, 2018. The lawyer requested the court to release his client on lenient bond terms as he is “just a mere driver.”

“Your honor as it is right now, it seems any person involved with Dr. Fryda is being charged with this offense,” said the lawyer.

Bwosi was granted a personal bond of Ksh.5 million or a cash bail of Ksh.500,000.

Dr. Fryda filed a case in 2011 seeking to eject the nuns from St. Mary’s Mission Hospital premises for allegedly interfering with the running of the facilities.

The priest claimed to be the founder and chief executive officer of the institutions and accused the nuns of trying to kick him out and take over the property.

Through his lawyer, Dr Fryda argued that he used his money and that from his donors to buy the parcels of land in Nakuru and Nairobi on which the hospitals sit.

However, the Nakuru court hearing the matter ruled in the nuns’ favor and declared Assumption Sisters of Nairobi the legal owners of the multi-billion St Mary’s Mission Hospital.

Later, the doctor was charged in May with forging letter of signatory to the bank requesting to change the signatories of the hospital’s account.