Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani, the oil tycoon, missed another court appearance when the Ks. 1.5 billion Kipevu jet fuel case was brought up. This is his third instance of missing court dates.
Instead, Devani's attorney was present in court and asked that his client's absence be granted until the hearing date.
The attorney should have disclosed Devani's location to the court. The court issued the arrest warrant for Devani during the previous mention, but it hasn't been put into effect yet.
The director of public prosecution opposed the application, claiming he had yet to receive a copy.
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Before the April 29, 2024 hearing, Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki gave the defense attorney instructions to serve the DPP with the application.
Devani was accused of stealing 318.656 metric tonnes of jet fuel, valued at Ksh. 1.5 billion from the Kenya Commercial Bank.
He was deported from Britain in January after spending 16 years on the run.
Police brought him before Magistrate Ondieki on January 23, 2024, and he refuted four charges brought against him regarding the unauthorized sale of petroleum products obtained through credit facilities provided to his company, Triton, by KCB Bank.
Devani allegedly agreed with senior government representatives in 2023 to fly from London to Nairobi to accept the plea. An arrest warrant was out for him.
He is accused of stealing 2,000 metric tonnes of automotive gas oil, valued at US$ 215,934, from KCB between April 23 and December 4, 2008, at the Kipevu Oil Storage Facility in Mombasa County, together with other people who appeared in court.
The court was informed that from May 15, 2008, to December 4, 2008, at the Kipevu oil storage facility in Mombasa County, 418.134 metric tons of motor spirit premium—worth US$ 438,031.10—were stolen by the defendants and others who were not present in court.
