Renowned Billionaire Granted Court Permission for Virtual Appearance Due to Health Crisis
Shivjibhai Varsani, the 70-year-old billionaire, who is frequently engaged in legal battles, is currently grappling with a serious health condition. In light of this, the court has made a remarkable decision to allow Varsani to join his court hearings from his hospital bed in India, virtually – a move that illustrates the fusion of law and technology in unprecedented circumstances.
The Greenlight Amidst Doubts
Judge Gladys Ollimo, a senior resident magistrate, gave a nod to Varsani’s plea to undergo urgent medical treatment overseas while simultaneously attending the upcoming Tuesday court session virtually, given the technology support. This directive was finalized after Varsani’s advocates, M Kinyua and King’ang’ia Wachira, managed to plead the case convincingly for his virtual presence.
Evidence-Based Decision
The approval by the court, though, came with certain prerequisites. It demanded solid proof of Varsani’s overseas travel in the form of an air ticket or a boarding pass. The prosecution had expressed doubts regarding Varsani’s consistent court absences. The court, sharing the same sentiment, had issued six arrest warrants against him as an expression of its annoyance at his perpetual absence.
Allegations and Fellow Accused
However, the aforementioned warrants were put on hold by chief magistrate Alex Ithuku in December following the submission of hospital documents from India validating that Varsani was indeed undergoing treatment. Shivjibhai Varsani, along with two others, Paresh Parbat and Victor Were, are facing 11 charges associated with an illicit share transfer worth Sh20 billion and the forging of the late Premji Pindolla’s signature to defraud him. The controversial share was a part of the total shares of Ghanshyam Builders, a company formerly owned by the deceased Premji Pindolla.
Through our source, we continue to provide an in-depth report about the case and will keep you updated on the latest developments as they unfold.
