Businessman Mandeep Singh Channa has been arraigned before a Kenyan court and charged with multiple offences relating to making and use of false documents. The charges are in connection with a dispute involving the resignation of a director and the transfer of 4,000 ordinary shares in Channa Investments Limited. Channa pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against him and was subsequently released on KSh300,000 cash bail.
According to the charge sheet, the case centres on several documents allegedly submitted through Channa's eCitizen account to the Business Registration Service (BRS) between October 2022 and July 2023. Prosecutors allege that the documents were used first in connection with the purported resignation of Supinderpaul Singh as a director of Channa Investments Limited and later in an alleged transfer of thousands of shares.
The first count against Channa is that he made a false affidavit dated October 19, 2022, purporting it to be a genuine affidavit sworn by Supinderpaul Singh before advocate and Commissioner for Oaths Esther Asati. Prosecutors say that Channa knew the document was false. Channa is also accused of uttering the same affidavit on October 25, 2022, contrary to Section 353 as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution has also turned its attention to purported minutes of a Channa Investments Limited board meeting dated October 19, 2022. According to the charge sheet, Channa is accused of making false board minutes and presenting them as genuine records of a duly convened meeting of the company. He is separately accused of uttering false minutes several days later.
A purported resignation letter dated October 19, 2022, is also at the centre of the criminal proceedings. The prosecution alleges that the document was falsely made to appear as though it had been duly executed and signed by Supinderpaul Singh as part of his resignation from the company. Channa submitted the resignation letter through his eCitizen account on the Business Registration Service platform on October 25, 2022, while knowing it to be false.
Beyond the director resignation documents, the case also involves the purported transfer of 4,000 ordinary shares in Channa Investments Limited from Supinderpaul Singh to Mandeep Singh Channa. Prosecutors allege that Channa made a false share-transfer document dated July 3, 2023, purporting it to be a genuine instrument transferring the 4,000 shares to him.
Channa has denied all the charges and entered pleas of not guilty. The court subsequently granted him KSh300,000 cash bail, allowing him to remain out of custody as the criminal proceedings continue. The case is expected to proceed through the usual stages of the criminal trial, during which prosecutors will be required to present evidence supporting the charges while Channa will have an opportunity to challenge that evidence and present his defence.
Key points
- Mandeep Singh Channa has been charged with multiple offences relating to making and use of false documents.
- The charges are in connection with a dispute involving the resignation of a director and the transfer of 4,000 ordinary shares in Channa Investments Limited.
- Channa has denied all the charges and has been released on KSh300,000 cash bail.
