Witness in KSh 356M Theft Case Contradicts Testimony
"I was appointed as the director of the company in January this year when I came to Kenya," he said.
A witness who claims to have lost Ksh 356 million in the hands of a company’s former employee has faced difficulties explaining how the money was stolen from the company.
Deepak Rajoria, the director of Oki Trading Kenya Limited (OTKL), was challenged by the defence lawyer Nector Maloba to explain how, within his capacity, he understood how the funds were misappropriated.
When he took the stand, he told the court that Honey Khatwani, the former employee and director of the company, stole the funds between 2021 and 2024.
He informed the court that he came to Kenya for the first time in November last year, before he was appointed to be the director of OTKL in January 2025, though he had been an employee of the company that is based in Dubai.
“I was appointed as the director of the company in January this year when I came to Kenya,” he said.
Indian national Khatwani is alleged to have stolen the funds to facilitate his own company, Galaxy Middle East Africa Limited, which he started before his resignation. The court heard that he registered as a director jointly with another former employee.
Deepak, who had been an employee of the company in Dubai, told the court that he joined the company in January of this year as a director and realized funds and documents were missing.
He was further alleged to have made fake invoices for the company, which indicated a reduced amount of cash than was received from clients.
During Cross-examination by defence counsel Nector Maloba, Deepak admitted that he was not the company’s director and was not in the country when the offence took place.
“When the offence took place, were you the director of the company?” No, he answered.
He admitted that he could not tell how the money was lost from the company, rather than relying on the audit report he produced in court.
He was further challenged by failing to explain how the company is in tax compliance with the government if he claims the invoices offered were fake, whilst the company holds a Tax Compliance Certificate.
“If the alleged offence took place between 2021 and 2024, was the company paying tax to the government since you were producing an annual audit report? The lawyer asked.
The alleged offence occured between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2025, at Babadogo within Nairobi county.
The hearing of the matter will resume on September 26, this year.
