By Dikembe Disembe
Nairobi senator Mike Sonko has warned a Mombasa based lawyer who’s entangled in a nasty court case with a widow in Mombasa to return to the woman her wealth.
The lawyer, Ms Lucy Momanyi, in response, is accusing the Nairobi Senator of threatening messages over a criminal case in which a Mr. Ruwa was charged with swindling a German investor of Kshs 16 million. The Senator, however, was cleared of charges brought against him by Ms.Momanyi by then Mombasa Chief Magistrate Rosemelle Motoka as the charges against him were framed to tarnish his name after the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who found no evidence linking the Hon.Senator for Nairobi Mike Sonko
The German investor reportedly identified the Nairobi senator then being sworn in as MP for Makadara constituency in 2012 and contacted her lawyer, Ms Momanyi.
However, Sonko paints a different picture of the story.
According to the Nairobi Senator, the lawyer, who operates in Mombasa, is engaged in a nasty inheritance case with a widow whom she continues to con and swindle millions of shillings and properties of her late husband.
This widow, Ms Joy Nadzau Bellhouse, reached out to Senator Sonko to assist reign in on Ms Momanyi whom her late husband appointed as the executor of her will but has turned into an administrator of the man’s vast wealth.
According to details in our possession, the woman, Ms Joy Nadzau-Bell, wife to deceased Mr James Simon Bellhouse wrote to Sonko in June 2012 to ‘assist’ her in stopping the rogue lawyer from selling off her late husband’s properties.
Ms Bellhouse listed her husband’s vehicle, plots in Diani and shares which Momanyi had already sold to a company without her consent. The widow wanted this lawyer to be removed from the execution of her husband’s will.
According to the deceased’s will, the only trustee and beneficiary of the will was to be her surviving wife, Ms Joy Nadzau Bellhouse who would then use it to care for their two children till they turn of adult age.
Joy narrates several instances when she requested Ms Momanyi to help her access her husband’s wealth which she was the sole beneficiary but which Ms Momanyi has consistently given flimsy reasons to avoid helping the woman benefit from her late husband’s wealth.
Deceased will giving her wife all his property
In one such instance, the widow had got a cheque from Uchumi Supermarkets (one of the companies where her late husband is a shareholder) and wanted Ms Momanyi as the late husband’s lawyer to sign but Ms Momanyi refused claiming she had forgotten her identity card in the house. This is after this widowed woman travelled all the way from Mombasa to Nairobi in search of the cheque.
According to documents in our possession the rogue Mombasa lawyer has taken possession of 4 cars worth 7 million shillings belonging to the widow’s husband, a beach plot in Diani worth 400 Million Kshs and security shares worth millions of shillings in several companies listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
Sonko claims Ms Momanyi is bringing up non issues to avoid responding to his determined queries on how she has cheated, and benefitted, from the Ms Joy’s husband’s wealth.
“This woman sought my help when the lawyer took over the administration of her late husband’s wealth. She is defrauding the poor woman’s wealth with impunity as her children languish in abject poverty denying them their right of inheritance of their deceased father’s property. It’s wrong and it can’t happen at my watch, “says Senator Sonko.
Letter to Sonko
Sonko dismisses the claim by Ms Momanyi that he was part of the group which conned an investor as a sideshow meant to distract the public from the real reasons why Momanyi is rushing to the media. He denies ever threatening Ms Momanyi as she claims in a section of the press.
“I didn’t threaten this woman over this other case. The DPP is already on it. My problem with Ms Momanyi is that she’s stealing from a poor widow who ought not to be poor, instead Ms Momanyi threatened the widow on the 2nd March 2014. The said widow called and complained to me that Lucy Momanyi had threatened her that if she pursues the case she will kill her.The case was reported at Diani Police Station Vide OB/47/3/2014” the Senator told this writer, repeating that he didn’t threaten Ms Momanyi.
It should be noted that the widow also reported the matter to her lawyer Ms Lydia Kwamboka who summoned her learned friend via email and Ms Momanyi responded she was on official duties out of the country on behalf of FIDA. She sent another email to the Widow’s lawyer requesting her not to take further action against her.
Ms Bellhouse has filed complaints against Ms. Momanyi both at the Mombasa branch of the Law Society of Kenya and at the Supreme Court.