An Italian national embroiled in a Ksh 32 million fraud case in Watamu, Kilifi County, has explained how he was swindled of Ksh 15 million by fellow Italians promising to sell him a house.
Girola Fiorenzo, who testified through a translator Michael Mkare told Kilifi Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki that he first visited Kenya in 2019 for holidays in Mombasa and later to Watamu where he had booked a villa at Rafiki village.
While in Watamu, Fiorenzo met the accused persons, Daniele Lo Coco and Massimo Nativi who are managers of Rafiki villages and who convinced him to purchase a villa at the village.
“I told them I will think about it and later on 29th February 2020, we met at Mr Lo Coco’s house in Italy where I entered into an agreement to purchase the villa at 120,000 Euros and I paid the deposit and we agreed that I pay the rest within a period of one year,” he told the court before Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki.
The 120,000 Euros was translating to about Ksh 15 million in 2020.
He said that on 29th of February 2020 he paid 5,000 Euros in cash after signing the agreement in Italy and the second payment was in March 2020 where he paid 15,000 Euros and it was sent by bank transfer to DTB bank Malindi and later he again paid 30,000 Euros the same month followed by another 45,000 Euros.
In September 2020, he paid 20,000 Euros in cash while in Italy, the amount which was received by Lo Coco and wrapped up the payment by depositing 5,000 Euros to Lo Coco’s bank account in February 2021 but until now, he has never been issued with the ownership documents by the accused persons.
“I paid 5,000 Euros to Lo Coco’s DTB bank account in Watamu on 24th February 2021 as the last payment. But I have never been issued with ownership documents,” he told the court
The Defense lawyer Kinyua Kamundi told the witness that he had lied to police in Watamu about the amount involved a thing that Fiorenzo denied.
Hearing of the case is set to continue today (Monday).
The accused are facing fraud charges and they were charged that on various dates between August 30 2018 and August 1, 2019, at the Watamu area of Malindi Sub County within Kilifi County with intent to defraud, they jointly obtained Ksh 17 million from Rita Nappo by pretending that they were in a position to sublease her Villa no 5A.
The villa was on a Plot of Land number Kilifi Jimba 1544 measuring approximately 0.327 hectares a fact they knew to be false.
In the second count, the two Italians were also charged that on various dates between March 21 2020 and February 24 2021 at the Watamu area of Malindi sub-county within Kilifi County with intent to defraud they obtained Sh. 15 million from Girola Fiorenzo by pretending that they were in a position to sublease her Villa number 4 B.
The Villa is reportedly located on plot number Kilifi Jimba 1544 measuring approximately 0.327 hectares a fact they knew to be false.
Last week Mwaniki ordered the accused to surrender their passports claiming they made arrangements to leave the country on November 22 a day after the hearing which was going on ends which he termed as an attempt to control court proceedings by having their travel itinerary without knowing the next hearing date.
The accused were charged that on various dates between August 30 2018 and August 1, 2019, at the Watamu area of Malindi Sub County within Kilifi County with intent to defraud them jointly obtained Ksh 17 million from Rita Nappo by pretending that they were in a position to sublease her Villa no 5A.
The Villa was on a Plot of Land number Kilifi Jimba 1544 measuring approximately 0.327 hectares a fact they knew to be false.
In the second count, the two Italians were also charged that on various dates between March 21 2020 and February 24 2021 at the Watamu area of Malindi sub-county within Kilifi County with intent to defraud they obtained Ksh 15 million from Girola Fiorenzo by pretending that they were in a position to sublease her Villa number 4 B.
The Villa is reportedly located on plot number Kilifi Jimba 1544 measuring approximately 0.327 hectares a fact they knew to be false.
