Tuesday, December 6, 2022 – Kenyan socialite Sheila Wairimu alias Shay Diva Africa has been sentenced to four years in prison with the alternative of a Ksh200,000 fine after she was found guilty of motor vehicle theft.
The 30-year-old socialite was accused of accessing tycoon, PJ Dodhia Kumar’s TIMs/NTSA account and transferring ownership of the vehicle to herself without following the due processes of succession.
According to records at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Shay Diva filed a transfer of the log book by logging into the TIMs account of the deceased at 11.45 pm on April 26.
The transfer was authorised at 2 pm the next day, but there were no supporting documents from the owner.
After Kumar died in April 2021 at the age of 61, his family filed a complaint with the police after it was discovered that Shay Diva had taken the vehicle. The family noted that the tycoon had only given the socialite the Landcruiser on a ‘use and return basis’ because they were in a relationship.
The socialite, in her defence, told the court that the Landcruiser was transferred to her without her knowledge and that she learned about it when she accessed her NTSA account.
However, one of the five witnesses who testified against Shay Diva told the court that the socialite blackmailed the late tycoon.
The witness, Chirag Bhatt, a manager of a hardware shop which was owned by the late tycoon, said that the socialite had threatened to expose their illicit relationship to his wife who lives in the UK. He added that Shay Diva remained with the vehicle until Kumar’s death through blackmail.
Diva, who was charged with three counts of intermeddling with family estate, forgery and stealing, was found guilty of illegally transferring the ownership of the Toyota Landcruiser. A guilty verdict was given on November 30, 2022, before she was ultimately sentenced on December 5, 2022.
Kitale Chief Magistrate, Julius N’garng’ar, who passed judgement on the case on Monday, December 5, 2022, also ordered the return of the Toyota Landcruiser 200 series back to the family of the late Dodhia Kumar who she was dating.
The judge said;
“I have considered the mitigation I will take into account that the accused is a first offender. I have also considered the circumstances under which the offence was committed and the plea in mitigation by the council of the accused.”
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