A Nairobi court has heard claims that former OKI Company Limited director, Honey Katwani, threatened staff members and confiscated their passports while in office.
Testifying before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego, Jatin Aswani told the court that Katwani took away his passport and issued threats while he was employed at the company. He said he reported the matter to the police but no action was taken.
Another witness, Karan Badlani, corroborated the testimony, stating that Katwani routinely intimidated employees and seized their travel documents. He added that at least three complaints had been lodged with police and OB numbers issued.
The two witnesses were testifying in a case where Katwani is charged with defrauding OKI Company of Sh536 million during his tenure as director.
The court further heard that the funds allegedly stolen were squandered on gambling, eventually crippling the company’s operations. The witnesses also claimed that after leaving OKI, Katwani established another entity, Galaxy, where he transferred the funds, before later creating a second “pseudo” company to continue moving the money.
Magistrate Dolphina Alego was informed that the said employees were threatened and intimidated so as not to reveal the then fraud.
When the matter came for hearing yesterday,two key witnesses gave damning testimony linking him to a multi-million-shilling fraud scheme.
Katwani is facing charges of defrauding the company more than Sh356million during his tenure as director, with the prosecution alleging that the funds were siphoned through fake invoices, black-market dealings, and later funneled into new companies he established.
Oki employee Jatin Aswani told Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego that while working under Katwani, he uncovered irregularities in company sales, which directly pointed to financial mismanagement.
He further testified that his life was put at risk after Katwani allegedly issued death threats. Aswani added that Katwani had taken away his passport and ignored his pleas, forcing him to seek help from the police, though no action was taken.
Supporting this account, former sales executive and accountant Karan Badlani told the court that between 2020 and 2024, Katwani subjected staff to constant intimidation, including confiscation of their passports and coercion to seek work permits. He said the threats eventually compelled him to leave the company.
The witnesses also alleged that the money Katwani siphoned from Oki was squandered on gambling activities, crippling the firm’s operations. They further claimed that after exiting Oki, Katwani opened another company, Galaxy, where he transferred funds, and later set up a pseudo firm that is allegedly being used to channel more money.
The prosecution argued that the testimonies paint a consistent picture of a director who abused his position to defraud the company and intimidate employees into silence.
Magistrate Alego directed that the hearing continues tomorrow, with more witnesses expected to testify in support of the prosecution’s case.
