By BD REPORTER
In Summary
- Lady Lori sues Mr Nicholas Biwott seeking to be paid bills he is said to have incurred in 2012.
Former powerful cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott
has been taken to court over a debt of Sh14.5 million in a year that
the businessman made it to the list of Africa’s top billionaires.
Helicopter firm, Lady Lori Kenya Limited, says Mr
Biwott has refused to clear the debt incurred for use of its plane
services between January to September last year. The firm, whose ownership changed recently, wants the court to compel the former minister to settle the debt.
“We have made several demands to the defendant to
clear the balance to no avail leading us to institute this case,” said
George Odongo, Lady Lori finance manager in court document.
“As of August 13, 2013, the amount outstanding in
respect of the services rendered was US $ 169.157.47 (Sh14.5million) and
this has been communicated to the defendant,” he added.
The company said that Mr Biwott had for a long
time been using its helicopters and settling dues after invoices based
on flight duration and distance covered were forwarded to the tycoon.
Lady Lori alleges that the businessman settled
part of the bill for the nine months to September last year and declined
pay arrears of Sh13 million, which had grown to Sh14.5 million with
interest.
Mr Biwott is yet to respond to the lawsuit filed
on November 19. The pay row comes in a year when Mr Biwott made it to
the list of Africa’s top billionaires as captured by Nigeria-based
financial magazine Ventures.
The magazine said that he was among the 55
Africa’s dollar billionaires in a list that included other three Kenyans
— Mama Ngina Kenyatta, Naushad Merali and Manu Chandaria — whom the
magazine tips as the wealthiest in the country and 25th richest in the
continent with a combined fortune of $1.65 billion (Sh142 billion).
The magazine, which published the list of rich
Africans for the first time, placed the fortunes of Mr Biwott and Mr
Merali, who both made their money during the era of President Moi, at
about $1 billion (Sh86 billion).
But Ventures noted that the wealth numbers were conservative amid claims that it only captured a share of Mr Biwott’s fortune.
The former minister has vast investments abroad
and, in Kenya. He is associated with Yaya Centre, an upmarket shopping
centre in Hurlingham, Nairobi, oil marketer KenolKobil as well as land and property valued at billions of shillings.
The suit comes in a year that saw American
investors cede ownership of Lady Lori to their local executives for an
undisclosed amount.
Ian Mimano, the CEO of the helicopter firm, Peter
Njagi (maintenance manager) and Adi Vinner acquired ownership mid-this
year of the firm started 15 years ago by an American couple, Jim and
Lori De Nooyer, who moved to Kenya from New York.
They started with one helicopter, which they used
to travel across the country and later leased it to a commercial
operator at the Wilson Airport. The couple bought a second aircraft and
tapped Mr Mimano to set up and steer the helicopter operation.
No comments :
Post a Comment