Two Italian businessmen operating in the Watamu area of Kilifi County have raised concerns about the conduct of local police investigators in a dispute over high-value property.
Daniele Lo Coco and Massimo Nativi, who direct a real estate company, say officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have handled the matter in a way that appears to favour the other side.
The disagreement centres on the ownership and sale of villas within a residential complex. The investors maintain that the issues are essentially civil and should be resolved through the courts rather than through criminal investigations and pressure.
They report that on the night of 18 August 2026, detectives arrived at their property seeking to arrest them. According to the pair, the officers claimed to have warrants but did not show any documents. Security guards on site had their mobile phones taken, an action the investors describe as unnecessary and intrusive.
The following day the Kilifi County Criminal Investigations Officer issued a formal summons requiring the two men to appear for questioning in connection with complaints of obtaining money by false pretences linked to one of the villas. An earlier informal request for them to report had also been sent by message.
Their lawyer has written to protest the timing and manner of these steps, arguing that a night-time attempt at arrest was not justified and that proper legal representation could not be arranged at such short notice. The lawyer has indicated that the men will present themselves and the relevant documents at a later agreed time.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has not publicly accepted any suggestion of improper conduct.
The property dispute continues to involve both civil proceedings and criminal inquiries. The investors say the way investigations have been pursued has added strain to an already complicated ownership battle.
The questions of title and the related criminal complaints remain before the relevant authorities for determination.
