NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 4 — A disputed C-160 Transall cargo aircraft was allegedly flown out of Kisumu International Airport despite a High Court order barring its removal, a court has heard in the criminal case against four foreign nationals accused of forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony.

📻 Breaking It Down

The revelation emerged as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advanced its case against Geoffrey Leach, David Berry, Michael Allan McKeever and Christopher Bruce Wilhelm, who are facing charges arising from the aircraft’s disputed ownership, registration and removal from Kenya.

The four are charged with forgery contrary to Section 349 of the Penal Code and conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to Section 393 of the Penal Code.

At the Kisumu Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court, the prosecution, led by Principal Prosecution Counsel Douglas Moseti, called Captain Newton Osiemo, Chief Executive Officer of Wilken Aviation Limited, as its first witness.

📌 What You Need to Know

Osiemo told the court that Wilken Aviation Limited and Flying Tiger Oversize Cargo Pty Ltd (FTOC) jointly purchased the aircraft from Indonesia on November 17, 2014, with FTOC holding a 70 per cent stake and Wilken Aviation 30 per cent.

The aircraft was subsequently registered in the Central African Republic (CAR) and flown to Kisumu International Airport, where it remained as it underwent aviation inspections.

The witness said the aircraft was intended for charter and humanitarian operations, including transporting food under the United Nations World Food Programme.

However, the ownership arrangement later descended into a dispute after questions emerged over the aircraft’s registration.

Osiemo told the court that Wilken Aviation was shocked to learn that registration documents had allegedly been obtained from Comoros without the company’s involvement.

“This was shocking because we [Wilken Aviation] were not involved in writing to CAR to approve the transfer to Comoros,” Osiemo testified.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya