Court bars city businessman accused of Sh356 million fraud from travelling to India
Honey Khatwani is accused of stealing $2,786,174.40 (Sh356 million) from Oki General Trading between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2024, in Barbado, Nairobi County, while serving as a director.
An application by a Nairobi businessman who is facing charges of defrauding his own company of Sh356 million to have his passport released for a 20-day trip to India has been dismissed by the Milimani Law Courts.
Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego rejected the request by Honey Khatwani, a former director of Oki General Trading, ruling that he had not provided sufficient grounds to warrant a review of his bail terms.
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“The accused has not demonstrated any change in circumstances since the bail terms were issued that would warrant a review,” Magistrate Alego said.
Through his lawyer, Kennedy Echesa, Khatwani had told the court that the planned trip, set for Saturday, August 2, 2025, was essential and tied to his primary source of income.
Echesa argued that Khatwani was a first-time offender and posed no flight risk, adding that the prosecution would not suffer prejudice if he travelled abroad.
However, State Counsel Victor Owiti, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), opposed the application, saying the accused had not produced evidence proving the urgency or necessity of the trip.
“It is in the interest of justice and public interest that the prayers sought by the accused be declined,” Owiti submitted, adding that Khatwani was aware of any potential travel needs at the time of taking the plea but failed to raise them then.
The DPP further argued that the application amounted to asking the court to review its lawful orders without presenting any new or compelling facts.
Khatwani is accused of stealing $2,786,174.40 (about Sh356 million) from Oki General Trading between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2024, in Barbado, Nairobi County, while serving as a director.
He was released on June 24, 2025, on a Sh5 million cash bail with conditions that included surrendering his passport, No. Z4995684, to the court. The prosecution has insisted that the magnitude of the alleged fraud poses a high risk of absconding.
The case is pending hearing, with key witnesses expected to testify in the upcoming sessions.
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