Kenyan-American fugitive seeks to stop extradition to Kigali
Kenyan- American fugitive who is wanted in Rwanda to serve a five-year jail term for defrauding a bank has moved to the High Court to stop his extradition and quashing of red alerts issued against him by Interpol.
Nathan Loyd Ndung’u was arrested when he landed from the US last month and was presented before a Nairobi court, where the prosecution applied to have him detained pending extradition proceedings.
Senior Principal Magistrate Benard Ochoi later released him after he posted a bond of Sh1 million ($8,779). The businessman is wanted in Rwanda for fraud linked to a housing scheme in 2012.
He was ordered to surrender his passport and travel documents in court until the matter is determined and to report to the police twice a week as he awaits the extradition.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had filed an application before the Milimani Law Courts last week seeking to detain the fugitive for 21 days pending the commencement of the extradition process.
However, the judge stated that there were no compelling reasons to warrant his detention.
Ndung’u is wanted in Rwanda to serve a five-year jail term.
Ndung’u was set to be detained at the Inland Container Depot Police Station pending the receipt of formal extradition request documents from the Republic of Rwanda, according to the prosecution’s Senior Assistant Director in the Department of Public Prosecution (SADPP) Catherine Mwaniki and Magdalene Nduati.
In 2012, Interpol issued a Red Notice Alert to Ndung’u after a Rwandan court sentenced him to five years in prison in his absence after he was convicted of selling property that belonged to someone else, as well as fraud and deception.
The court also heard last week that Ndung’u holds dual citizenship as a Kenyan and an American, allowing him to return to the United States of America (USA) and blend in with the locals without being detected, and that Rwanda does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
The prosecution also claimed that because Ndung’u is wanted in Rwanda, he cannot be released on bail or bond.
They speculated that he could flee the country again without being discovered.
Ndung’u returned to Nairobi from the USA on January 31.
