Man who threatened MD kicked out of firm for violating rules, court told

 

A witness on Thursday told a Nairobi court a man accused of sending threatening messages to the MD of Magnate Ventures Limited was kicked out because he violated the rules.

James Kinyanjui who lives in Los Angeles told senior resident magistrate Caroline Njaga that he, the accused George Mungai and director Stanley Kinyanjui had formed the investment company as friends.

The two Kinyanjuis are not related.

They were contributing money to purchase land.

Mungai was a member of the land-buying group that owned land in Kitengela. 

Kinyanjui said he was invited to purchase shares by the chairman, Stanley Kinyanjui, in 2012.

He invested about Sh1 million, which awarded him five acres of land.

In 2016, members agreed that all members should sign their subscription but Mungai refused.

"In 2016, every shareholder of that company was required to sign for subscription. Mungai declined to subscribe and demanded to be given a portion of land," the witness said.

He said the accused was not entitled to any land. 

"The money was being refunded to him because the membership decided they don't want him to be part of the company, he went beyond the rules of the group," the court was told.

He was testifying against Mungai who is charged with sending threatening messages to Stanley Kinyanui on WhatsApp in 2020.

The court was told that on December 10,2020, at around 10pm, when he was in Nairobi, he received a message from a George Mungai. 

"I received a message and photo which depicted the image of [director] Kinyanjui, which said Stanley is a thief and swindler of land," Kinyanjui told court. 

He added that he responded to Mungai in English saying that is wrong.

On December 16, 2020, he received another text message from the accused person with Kikuyu wording, loosely translated as "War is big in the journey."

"On 17 December 2020 I received a WhatsApp message from the same phone number with the following wording..."I better go to jail fighting for my family and rights. I will be taken to court and charged but I will put Stanley to where he belongs. I will shame him. Watch this space...," he added. 

In May Stanley Kinyanjui, the director of Magnate Ventures Limited, testified that he used to work together with Mungai who was allocated 10 acres before they fell out.

“We (a company) had apportioned 10 acres to the accused and the problem arose when he refused to subscribe to the ownership of the company shares," the court heard.

Kinyanjui told the court the accused had sent several messages claiming he had grabbed his (Mungai's) land.

He quoted Mungai as telling him, "For now, brace yourself as I claim what is mine. Court battles are expensive. All I need is my land, otherwise, I will face you like a man."

“When I received the message, it was disturbing and a threat to me. It was mental torture game for me. I have never responded to the messages," Kinyanjui said.     BY THE STAR