Row when the lawyer withdrew Sh500,000 from a miraa account

New disputes have arisen about how Sh10 million was raised in 2013 to file court cases challenging the ban on miraa in the UK.

It appears that the lawyer involved in the lawsuit recently obtained a court order to withdraw more than Sh530,000 from the Miraa legal fees account without the approval of the four signatories.

SIGNATURE

Signatories included former North Igembe MP Joseph M’Eruaki, Igembe Kubai Iringo Central legislator, Mr. Nabea Murianki and Mr. Jesse Muambi.

It turned out that Sh1.7 million was left in the bank account after Lawyer Dass in London was paid Sh7 million and their local representative Mr. Henry Kurauka was paid Sh600,000.

The money was donated by farmers who were forced to pay Sh500 after Njuri Ncheke's orders.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto donated Sh5 million, the Meru District government Sh2 million, while the rest of the money was donated by the leaders during the fundraising on Maili Tatu land.

Sh2 million donated by the Meru Regency government was part of the 2013/2014 General Auditor's report question with the Meru Regency Assembly directing that the official who paid the money would be charged an additional fee.

MIRAA FUNDS

Miraa fund account signatories now threaten to sue banks and Kurauka lawyers for fraudulently withdrawing Sh536,000 from bank accounts.

The court order was signed by Nairobi LA Mumassaba's high court registration representative, in which Kurauka and Co Advocates had sued the Kenya Miraa Farmers and Traders Association (Kemifata), directing the Cooperative Bank, Maua Branch manager to issue bankers Check Sh536.904 to Kurauka and Co Advocates .

The order was issued without the presence of the respondent, Kemifata.

Speaking to the Nation, Lawyer Kurauka said that the guards of the money collected for the London miraa case had failed to pay legal fees for the past five years, forcing him to go to court.

"They paid me Sh2 million while lawyers in London received Sh15 million. However, I only received an advance of Sh600,000. I did 80 percent of the work, but the signatories refused to give me the balance. This is why I went to court, "said Kurauka.

LEGAL FEES

He argues that the money raised in fundraising is intended for legal fees so that it should not be deposited in the bank without completing its obligations.

"They still owe me money and if I add interest, it will be a lot of money. The signatory must explain to the miraa farmers how the money is used and what they want to do with the balance, "he said.

Mr Kurauka said he had represented Miraa stakeholders in various lawsuits without demanding a lot of money because he was also a farmer.

But the account signers have denied owing money to Kurauka.

They also denied having knowledge of court proceedings that led to withdrawing money from accounts.

Mr Iringo could not be contacted to comment on this issue but in the past, he had explained that lawyers in London were paid Sh7 million while Kenyan lawyers who prepared files paid Sh600,000.

"We will sue lawyers and banks for fraud. There is no law that allows banks to withdraw money from customer accounts without their knowledge. The respondent in the court order is not the owner of the account from which the money was taken. This is fraud, "Mr. Mruekaki said.

SH600,000

He said back in 2013, leaders from Meru had negotiated with Lawyer Kurauka, who agreed to be paid Sh600,000.

Kemifata Chair Dave Muthuri also denied owing money to lawyers by saying they paid Sh40,000 in a case against Nacada, which ended in an out of court settlement.

"We do not have an account at Cooperative Bank, Maua, and