By Harrison Wanzallah
A former General Manager with Printing Services Limited was yesterday charged with stealing over Sh254.4 million from his employer. Cheekati Narsimha Rao, who appeared before Magistrate Caroline Nyaguthii, is also accused of forging the signature of Indian-Kenyan author and publisher Malkiat Singh Dhillon in an attempt to falsely promote himself to the position of Production Manager at the company.
According to the charge sheet, Rao, together with others not before the court, allegedly stole Sh254,461,768 from Printing Services Limited between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2024 in Nairobi City County. The funds came into his possession by virtue of his employment at the company.
He is further accused of forging Malkiat Singh Dhillon’s signature on an appointment letter that fraudulently elevated him to the role of Production Manager. The letter was purportedly signed by Dhillon, who is also the Managing Director of the company.
After pleading not guilty, Rao requested the court to grant him reasonable bail terms, citing his unemployment since April 2024 and ongoing health issues. He further argued that he is not a flight risk.
However, Lawyer Kimani Wachira, representing the complainant, Malkiat Singh Dhillon, urged the court to compel Rao to surrender his passport, citing previous attempts by the accused to leave the country.
Magistrate Nyaguthii ordered that the accused be released on a bond of Sh10 million or a cash bail of Sh3 million, pending the hearing and determination of the case. Additionally, Rao was directed to deposit his passport with the court and was barred from leaving the country without prior permission.
The case is scheduled for mention on 12 March 2025 for further directions.
