 "Representative image. Reuters")
A British-Kenyan businessman has been sanctioned by the US and UK over his alleged involvement in the illicit trade of gold.
The accused Kamlesh Pattni along with his wife and brother-in-law have been slapped with sanctions and their assets have been frozen, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement.
What is he accused of?
He was linked to one of Kenya’s largest corruption scandals, the Goldenberg affair, which is estimated to have cost the country at least $600 million (£470 million). Additionally, he has faced accusations of participating in Zimbabwe’s illegal gold trade, allegations he has previously denied.
“Illicit gold is an assault on the legitimate trade of a valuable commodity, fuelling corruption, undermining the rule of law, and entrenching human rights abuses such as child labour,” the statement read.
“Russia uses the illicit gold trade to launder money and evade sanctions, and in doing so bolsters [President Vladimir] Putin’s war efforts,” it added.
The West banned the import of Russian gold in 2022 in an effort to stop the inflow of funds for the war.
Pattni, according to BBC, was allegedly one of the key architects of the Goldenberg scandal. The Goldenberg scandal is one of the biggest currency frauds that pushed Kenya to the brink of bankruptcy in the 1990s.
“This fraudulent scheme robbed Zimbabwe’s citizens of the benefit of those natural resources while enriching corrupt government officials and criminal actors,” the foreign ministry said.