A director of a Nairobi-based real estate company has been charged with defrauding a client of Ksh6.4 million in a failed house construction deal.
Abdiwahab Adan Maalim, Director of Vaad Limited, appeared before the Chief Magistrate at the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday, April 22, where he faced charges of obtaining money by false pretenses.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the case stems from a complaint lodged on December 30, 2024. The complainant alleged that Maalim collected millions under the pretext of building a residential home in the Oakside Phase 2 housing project in Syokimau, Mavoko Municipality.
DCI officers from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit established that Maalim entered into a formal agreement with the complainant on September 22, 2022. The contract outlined a total cost of Ksh13 million for the house, with an upfront payment of Ksh3 million and additional installments scheduled over 24 months.
However, despite receiving Ksh6.4 million over a period of seven months, Maalim allegedly failed to begin any construction. Investigators who visited the project site confirmed that no work had started, more than a year after the agreed project completion date.
“Maalim had collected the funds, but not even the foundation had been laid,” the DCI stated.
Maalim pleaded not guilty in court and was released on a bond of Ksh1 million or a cash bail of Ksh100,000. The DCI revealed that it has received multiple complaints involving Maalim and Vaad Limited, and has urged other potential victims to come forward and file reports at the DCI Headquarters.
The case will be mentioned in court on May 12, 2025.
