Key Witness in Senteu Plaza Fraud Case Struggles to Explain Alleged Forgery
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A key prosecution witness in the high-profile criminal case involving Meriton Group chairman Chrisantus “Chris” Obure failed to convincingly explain the basis of a forgery claim during cross-examination at the Milimani Law Courts.
Pankaj Chhaganlal, the managing director of the estate of his late brother Ajeet Kumar Shah, was grilled over Board Minutes allegedly received by his father, Chandulal Chhaganlal Shah, from Obure. Pankaj admitted he had never personally received the documents in question.
Defence lawyer Odwesso, appearing on behalf of Prof. Patrick Lumumba, questioned Pankaj’s standing in the case, asking how he could testify on matters supposedly handled by his late brother. He also demanded clarity on who actually filed the complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Pankaj confirmed that he did not personally lodge the complaint. Instead, he instructed his lawyer Ezra Makori to file the forgery claim on his behalf.
Courtroom drama unfolded further when it was revealed that Tribunal Chair Hon. Cyprian Mugambi had ruled on June 27, 2025, that the eviction orders used to remove Obure from the disputed Senteu Plaza building in Kilimani were fraudulently obtained by Pankaj. This revelation cast doubt on the credibility of the prosecution’s lead witness.
Defence counsel described the entire complaint as a calculated misuse of the legal system, designed to oust Obure from the property under false pretenses.
While testifying before Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai, Pankaj claimed that the dispute originated from unpaid rent. He said the agreement with the accused was a lease, not a sale.
“I instructed my lawyer to report the matter after the accused failed to comply with our lease agreement dated October 1, 2017,” he told the court.
Pankaj, trading under AC & Others Company Limited, denied any knowledge of the Binding Board Resolution at the centre of the case. He refuted both the signature and stamp impression presented in court and denied signing the document, stating he does not use such resolutions in his business operations.
“The agreement was between AC & Others Company Limited and SBS Danhill as a tenant, not a buyer,” he emphasized.
Obure, together with co-accused Nickson Omanda, is facing five charges including conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, uttering false documents, and giving false information to a public officer.
Prosecutors allege that between June 12, 2017, and October 9, 2023, the two forged a Binding Board Resolution, fraudulently claiming it was signed and stamped by Chandul Shah, a director of AC & Others Company.
The court also heard that on February 10, 2024, at the DCI Headquarters in Nairobi, the accused presented the forged document as authentic. A day earlier, Obure allegedly gave false information to a police officer, claiming he had a valid sale agreement for Senteu Plaza.
The case continues.
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