Businessman Deepak Kamani at a Milimani Court on January 19,2024. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]
Why Appeals Court has suspended Sh3.5b Anglo Leasing trial
Crime and Justice
By
Nancy Gitonga
| Feb 21, 2026
The Court of Appeal has issued a temporary stay order halting defence hearing proceedings in the Sh3.5 billion Anglo Leasing case against businessmen Deepak Kamani and his brother Rashmi Chamanlal Kamani, pending the determination of their appeal.
The development emerged on Wednesday when the matter came up for mention before Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Harrison Baraza, who was informed that the appellate court had granted the stay after all parties signed a joint consent order to temporarily suspend the trial.
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Defence lawyers led by Senior counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi told the court that the Court of Appeal had heard applications relating to the appeal proceedings on Wednesday, and that by consent of all parties in the instance proceedings, including the DPP, had been stayed pending the outcome of the main appeal.
"We are here before the Court of Appeal on February 18, 2026, for the hearing of applications for appeals by instance proceedings. And by consent of all parties, instance proceedings were sealed throughout the outcome of the main appeal," Ahmednasir told the court.
The lawyer further informed the magistrate that the Court of Appeal had directed that the main appeal be heard on an expedited basis.
"My instruction this morning, Your Honour, is to request a date in due time and ensure a date to confirm whether the appeal has been finalised," he stated.
Magistrate Baraza acknowledged the consent order halting the trial and directed the case to be mentioned on May 19, 2026, to confirm the progress and outcome of the Court of Appeal proceedings.
The fresh twist comes after the Kamani brothers, through their lawyers, filed the appeal challenging a High Court ruling that placed them on their defence after Judge Benjamin Musyoki found that the DPP had established a prima facie case against them.
They are seeking an independent and comprehensive review by the appellate court of the subordinate court's decision.
In his July 2025 ruling, Justice Musyoki set aside the January 2024 acquittal of the two brothers alongside three former permanent secretaries, Joseph Magari, Dave Mwangi, and David Onyonka, and ordered them to face trial on five counts of corruption.
The charges relate to the alleged irregular procurement of security equipment for the Kenya Police Forensic Laboratory, worth Euros 40 million (approximately Sh3.5 billion), through Sound Day Corporation and Apex Finance Corporation, both companies the court linked to the Kamani family.
Central to the prosecution's case is that government payments were channelled not to the contracted supplier, Sound Day Corporation, but to Apex Finance Corporation, an offshore firm registered in Mauritius, despite the Kamani brothers' claims of having no links to the entity.
The alleged offences were committed between October 30, 2003, and April 14, 2004, in Nairobi.
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