Ranjeeta Pandey Rai
Ranjeeta Pandey Rai, Isaac Jkua Kihara, and Chris Oyunge Ontita, two directors of Rosalia Blooms Limited, faced a setback yesterday when the High Court denied their request to quash their prosecution at the Chief Magistrate Court. Justice Lilian Mutende ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support claims of abuse of the court process by the prosecution.
Justice Mutende faulted the two directors saying they challenged their prosecution too late. The two Mr. Shailesh Kumar Rai and his wife Ranjeeta Pandey Rai are the directors of a flower firm and are accused of stealing Sh107 million from the company.
Mr. Shailesh Kumar Rai and his wife Ranjeeta Pandey Rai had challenged their prosecution arguing that the charges were illegal and that the trial court failed to distinguish the company as a separate entity from its directors as they cannot be held liable for the acts of the company.
The couple were charged in August last year, together with two employees Isaac Ikua Kihara and Chris Oyunge, and denied a total of nine counts including conspiracy to defraud and forgery.
Ranjeeta Pandey Rai, Isaac Jkua Kihara, and Chris Oyunge Ontita, two directors of Rosalia Blooms Limited
According to the charge sheet, Kumar, who was the director of Heritage Flowers Company in Nairobi County between September 2021 and August 2022, stole Euros 368,416.71 and 348,166.94 USD, which came into his possession by virtue of his employment.
Kumar was further charged alongside Ranjeeta Pandey Rai, Isaac Jkua Kihara, and Chris Oyunge Ontita for conspiring to defraud Heritage Flowers Limited of Ksh 117,718,596.
Kumar, Ranjeeta, and Rosalia Blooms Limited were separately charged with money laundering. They were accused of engaging in a transaction to conceal Ksh 107 million while claiming that the money was the proceeds of crime.
