Car dealer arrested for stealing Sh33 million luxury Range Rover in Nairobi » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 15 – Police in Kilimani are holding a car dealer accused of stealing a Sh33 million Range Rover in a dramatic, movie-style theft from a rival dealership.
Robert Bundi Mugaa, who claims to operate Silverstar Motors Limited, was arrested on Sunday following the alleged theft of the luxury vehicle from Alvis Motors on Ngong Road.
According to the complainant, Adeel Rashid Mohamed, Mugaa had expressed interest in purchasing the high-end SUV, which was initially priced at Sh34 million. Adeel referred him to his sales manager last Thursday to proceed with the deal.
Mugaa requested to test-drive the car, allegedly to show it to a potential buyer. The manager declined, citing the lack of a formal agreement or any form of payment. Mugaa then convinced the manager to accompany him to a Shell petrol station along Dennis Pritt Road, claiming the buyer was waiting there. When the supposed buyer failed to appear, the car was returned to the yard.
The following day, Mugaa returned to Alvis Motors saying he was ready to proceed with the sale. He signed a sale agreement to pay Sh32 million in cash and issue two post-dated cheques of Sh500,000 each. However, he claimed that the banks had closed and he would wire the payment via RTGS the next morning.
Once again, he requested to drive the vehicle to meet the buyer. When the manager declined, Mugaa persuaded him to accompany him to the same petrol station. The alleged buyer was again absent.
Mugaa then claimed the client was at his residence on State House Road, near the Ethiopian embassy. They drove to an apartment complex where guards denied knowledge of such a resident. The two proceeded to another luxury apartment nearby on State House Crescent and went into a restaurant to wait.
After a few minutes, Mugaa stepped out, claiming the client had just arrived in the parking lot. He never returned. The manager, sensing foul play, rushed outside only to find both Mugaa and the vehicle missing. Calls to Mugaa went unanswered, prompting the manager to report the matter at Kilimani Police Station.
Officers later tracked Mugaa to Runda, but the vehicle was not in his possession. He allegedly refused to disclose its whereabouts.
Further investigations revealed the SUV was parked in a lot in Westlands. Police discovered that Mugaa had delivered the car to a businessman who had paid him Sh21 million four months earlier as part of a separate deal to import a Range Rover. The payment included Sh11.5 million in cash and a luxury Toyota car worth Sh9.5 million as part of the trade-in.
The businessman told police Mugaa had promised to deliver the vehicle by April 8. Mugaa later sent him pictures of the car, claiming he was clearing it at the port in Mombasa and requested an additional two days.
Kilimani OCPD Patricia Yegon confirmed the arrest and said Mugaa was arraigned at the Kibra Law Courts on Monday, where Senior Principal Magistrate Samson Temu granted police 14 days to detain him as investigations continue.
“We are expanding the probe to uncover the full extent of the fraud and to establish whether there are other complainants,” said Ms Yegon.
Police intend to charge Mugaa with theft and obtaining money by false pretences. Although Silverstar Motors Limited is a registered business, investigators say they found no evidence of an operational car yard.