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Citizen Weekly

Sunday 31 August 2014

PUNJANI TO OPEN STATEMENT ON LAMU LAND



Mombasa businessman Ali Punjani who has been mentioned adversely over the Lamu land saga is expected to record a statement with the CID headquarters this week.

This comes after reports indicated that he acquired the controversial plots through connections with Othaya MP Mary Wambui and the secretary to the cabinet Francis Kimemia.  Kimemia and Wambui were ultra-powerful personalities within the corridors of power during Mwai Kibaki’s administration.


Preliminary investigations reveal that Punjani had even sold one of the controversial parcels for approximately Sh870 million. Interestingly, and according to the report, the buyers never set foot on the land before buying it, but only surveyed it by helicopter.

According to records by state agencies, the deal was sealed through a company known as Rising Star Commodities where Punjani is one of the directors. The company which bought the controversial land for the millions is trading as Calyon Enterprises. Calyon’s directors who signed the transfer agreements are listed as Nazlin Mohamed and Aisha Nathoo.


The directors later used the sale documents and title of the 40,140 acres to secure Sh870 million from Diamond Trust Bank to pay Rising Star. Sources say the charge on the property by the bank was registered at the ministry of Lands on November 21 2013.

The report further reveals that the controversial plot was earlier allocated to Rusken International Limited, who then transferred it to Rising Star on February 8 2013. Rusken International Limited was registered on July 2 2007 with Farouk Hamid and Hussein Hamid as directors.

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