The Nakuru High Court on Tuesday directed the County Government of Nakuru to take legal action against a lawyer for allegedly obtaining Sh17 million illegally.
This is after lawyer Harry Gakinya was accused of allegedly obtaining the money that was meant to be paid to his former client, Sabatia Investment.
The court heard that Gakinya had allegedly forged the signature of a Nakuru County attorney to obtain court orders stopping the payment of Sh39.8 million that the court had issued to Sabatia Investment.
The court in a ruling had directed the county government to pay Sh39, 872, 598 to Sabatia Investment as rent arrears that the county failed to pay for the premises it had leased.
The county government had released Sh39 million which was meant to be paid to Sabatia but Gakinya only released Sh22 million to his clients then allegedly obtained orders illegally to stop the payment.
Sabatia Investment through lawyer Gordon Ogolla sued the county government for colluding with their former lawyer to obtain the orders to avoid paying the Sh17 million balance.
The county government, however, denied instructing lawyer Gakinya to file the case stopping the payment.
George Kamau, whose signature was allegedly forged, denied before the court signing the document saying the county government had released Sh39 million as ordered by the court.
Nakuru High Court judge Joel Ngugi directed the county government and the county attorney to file a formal complaint.
“The county government should pursue the case by making a formal complaint with the county attorney. The county legal officer should also make a report to the police of a suspected forgery where his signature was used to file this matter,” ordered justice Ngugi.