A city businessman accused of detaining his client’s passport and preventing her from leaving the country for medical treatment was charged before a Nairobi court on Wednesday.
The court ordered Jackson Kamau Ndegwa to submit the passport in question to the court within the next 24 hours.
It is alleged that Ndegwa, who runs a business at Uganda House in Nairobi, unlawfully detained a passport belonging to Sheila Wangari Gichuhi and demanded 3,500 USD before releasing it.
He is also accused of detaining another passport belonging to LMW, a minor, without any lawful cause.
According to court records, the complainant approached Ndegwa to obtain a visa for her, and he demanded 2,000 USD as a facilitation fee.
Wangari was in urgent need of a visa to seek medical treatment in the United States for herself and her child.
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Ndegwa allegedly asked her to hand over the two passports. However, after doing so, Wangari claims she never saw him again.
The accused denied the charges before Magistrate Ndombi at Milimani Law Courts, where the magistrate ordered that the passports be brought to court by tomorrow, August 15, 2024.
This order followed an application by the prosecution and the complainant’s lawyer to have the passports returned to Wangari.
“I have considered the application to have the two passports released to the complainant. I therefore order the accused to bring the said passports to court tomorrow,” ruled the magistrate.
The accused was released on Sh 10,000 cash bail, and the matter will be mentioned on Thursday morning.