Official charged with stealing Sh300k dogs from Helicopter Church bishop
A sub-chief in Othaya, Nyeri county, has been released by court on a bond of Sh200,000 after denying charges of stealing two dogs owned by a Nairobi-based televangelist Bishop Thomas Wahome Njuguna of the Helicopter Church.
Mr Paul Gachiri Wageni, the sub-chief of Kiandemi sub-location was accused of stealing the two canines (Terrier breed) valued at Sh300,000 on unknown date during the month of December, 2016 at Kihuri village.
He faced a second count of handling stolen property on December 6, 2018 at Kihuri village.
Othaya Senior Resident Magistrate Monica Munyendo heard that the administrator dishonestly received and retained one dog.
Mr Gachiri denied the offences.
The magistrate ordered prosecution to supply him with copies of witness’s statements ahead of the hearing scheduled to start on June 4, 2019.
TRANSPORTED BY AIR
According to court papers, Bishop Wahome bought the dogs, a male and female, in December 2014 in Arusha and transported them by air when aged three months.
He later took them to his rural home in Othaya.
In his statement to the police, 39-year-old televangelist said the dogs were under the care of his farm manager Mr Stephen Macharia Ndichu, who informed him that they had been stolen.
“I reported the matter to the area assistant chief Mr Paul Gachiri to address the matter during barazas as I suspected they might have been taken by one of the neighbours. I returned to Nairobi waiting any feedback from the assistant chief,” he told the police in his statement.
But on November 3, 2018 the farm manager reported that he had sighted the missing dogs at the assistant chief’s homestead and the matter was reported at Othaya police station.
Together with the police, they proceeded to the sub-chief’s home where he positively identified the dogs, the statement reads.