A director of a flower firm embroiled in a Ksh 300 million ownership dispute has been charged with threatening to kill his co-shareholder. Shailesh Kumar Rai, a co-director at Heritage Flowers Limited, appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe and denied the charge of issuing death threats against Punjani Riyaz Mahammandali, his business partner.
The court heard that Rai allegedly threatened to shoot Mahammandali on July 27, 2022, at Parklands in Westlands sub-county, Nairobi. According to Mahammandali’s lawyer, Dr. Henry Kinyanjui, the threats, reportedly made in the Hindu language, have left the complainant living in fear.
“Since the issuance of the threats, the complainant has been living in constant fear for his life,” Dr Kinyanjui told the court, urging the magistrate to impose strict bail conditions.
The dispute centres on Heritage Flowers Limited, which owns a 100-acre parcel of land in the Rift Valley where the two directors engage in large-scale floriculture.
The court was also informed that Rai is facing a separate trial for allegedly stealing Ksh 110 million from the flower firm. His defence lawyer disclosed that Rai’s bank account, containing over Ksh 300 million, had been frozen under orders from Senior Principal Magistrate Sarah Nanzushi, who is presiding over the theft case.
In defence, Rai’s lawyer argued that the present case stems from the ongoing ownership conflict between the two directors and appealed to the court for leniency in setting bail terms.
In a brief ruling, Magistrate Shikwe granted Rai a bond of Ksh 200,000 or an alternative cash bail. Rai was also directed to provide two contact persons as guarantors if opting for the cash bail. The case was set for further mention as investigations and proceedings continue.
