A Kibera court has ordered for the detention of businessman Newton Kigera Ragui alias Jermaine for skipping court sessions.
Senior Resident Magistrate Boaz Ombewa issued the orders after Ragui skipped several court sessions.
Ragui has several court cases across the country in which he is accused of conning several people of their cash on the pretext that he can import cars for them.
On Thursday 13th June 2019, he skipped a court hearing in a case in which he is accused of conning KQs Captain Karanja Njenga of shs 2.9 million.
The prosecution said he received the money between October and December 2017 pretending that he would import vehicles for Karanja.
However, on Friday 14th June 2019, he appeared in court in the company of his lawyer.
The magistrate sought to know why he appeared late and he said he was held up in traffic.
The magistrate said Ragui is simply out to waste the courts time, witness’s time and that the cases may never be concluded if he continues skipping court.
The magistrate cancelled his bond and ordered that he be remanded at the industrial area remand prison until 5th July when the case will come up for hearing again.
In March 2019, Magistrate Derick Kuto remanded him for a day to enable the prosecution to amend the charge sheet to consolidate all the charges facing him.
In October 2018, Magistrate Elizabeth Juma released him on Sh1 million bond after 75 year old Mzee Josphat Munyi Njine from Embu deposited his title deed as security in court.
However, on 21st March 2019, Njine asked the court to return the title deed to him.
The court ordered that he be given back his title deed and Jermaine’s bond was cancelled.
Ragui had to get cash in order to deposit in court to secure his freedom.
Peter Kariuki, a horticultural farmer in Thika, also reported to the police that Jermaine conned him of Sh600, 000 on similar grounds.
The suspect is also facing another case at the Kiambu Law Courts where he was charged with obtaining Sh3.5 million from a Mr Wambugu.
He is also accused of conning Mombasa businessman Vimal Shah of a Toyota Dualis which he disabled its tracking system and deposited as security in court for a different case.
The prosecution also said that Jermaine is also accused of conning a Nairobi Hospital staff Dr Ruth Wanjohi of Sh1.3 million.