Court Date Set for Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani in Aviation Fuel Theft Case

Businessman Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani failed to appear in court for the third consecutive time on Monday, April 15, 2024, during the hearing of the case against him for the fraudulent sale of aviation fuel worth Sh1.5 billion 16 years ago.

Devani, who had fled to the UK to evade prosecution, was extradited back to the country earlier this year, 2024, after his efforts to challenge prosecution in Kenya proved unsuccessful.

The UK High Court dismissed the businessman’s application to resist extradition to Kenya to face charges.

In January 2024, Devani was arrested by Interpol and brought back to the country, where he was detained at Muthaiga police station and charged before Senior Magistrate Robinson Ondieki at the Milimani Law Courts.

During the mention of his case, Devani was absent from court, but his defense lawyer, Moses Kurgat, filed an application requesting the defendant be excused from appearing in court during the mention of the case.

However, Kurgat did not disclose Devani’s whereabouts or the reasons for his absence from court.

The prosecutor, Eliphaz Ombati, informed the court that he had not been served with a copy of the defendant’s application requesting to be excused from appearing in court.

The court ordered Lawyer Kurgat to serve Mr. Ombati with a copy of the application.

“This application by Devani will be heard on April 29, 2024. Serve Mr. Ombati with a copy of the application,” Mr. Ondieki ordered.

Devani pleaded not guilty to defrauding the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) of over Sh1.5 billion by selling aviation fuel at the Kipevu station in Mombasa.

The accused, through his company Triton, sold the fuel he had purchased with KCB funds in breach of agreements with the bank.

Two arrest warrants against Devani have not been revoked. Police are still pursuing him.