The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mr.Noordin Haji is tracking politicians, their activities in campaign trails and their financiers across the country to ensure they do not spend laundered money or proceeds of corruption to ascend to elective positions.
Hajji is heading a multi-agency team that comprises of officials from Assets Recovery Authority (ARA), thee toothless National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to trail the flow of laundered money in the run up to general elections in August.
The move comes amidst complains by DP William Ruto and his political allies that the regime is using State agencies to intimidate and harass them ahead of the August polls.
DDPP Hajji had on April 11 announced that his office had halted approval of graft files linked to politicians during this campaign period.
A notion had been created around the country to make unsuspecting Kenyans believe that only politicians allied to the DP Ruto are corrupt.
But Kenya has been on the spot over increased cases of money laundering by crooked businessmen, corrupt politicians and senior government officials in which authorities have seized millions in foreign and local currencies.
By February ARA had accounts a total of Sh448 million seized from foreigners and Kenyans in its accounts. In April the High Court froze Sh5.6 billion held in Equity Bank accounts and belonging to suspected to two Nigerians who enjoy the protection of a powerful politician in government.
“The only way to ensure that proceeds of crime are not used to influence elections is to ensure where there are suspicious funds /transactions, the relevant agencies will investigate, prosecute and forfeit the proceeds of crime to the State,” Mr Alloyce Kemo, a senior assistant director at the ODPP.
Kemo said the multi-agency team will compile evidence of cases where proceeds of corruption or laundered money is used bankroll campaigns and forward to DPP for directions.
“We intend to apply the full range of the law and this means that where necessary we will ensure that where investigations reveal corruption or economic crimes, the appropriate charges will be preferred against the offenders,” he added.
But according to the multi-agency team, criminals enjoying the protection of powerful figures in State offices and corrupt elected officials in government are the ones taking advantage of the lax anti-money laundering regulations to rinse and circulate dirty money.
Kenya is now on the list of global hotspots for money laundering, citing insufficient controls on the circulation of dirty cash and lack of stronger laws. A report by America’s Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs shows that money laundering in Kenya is rampant in both formal and informal sectors, fuelled by domestic and foreign criminal operations.
ODPP is relying on Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA), Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA and Prevention of Terrorism Act in its investigations to ensure laundered money is not spent in campaigns.
Mr Kemo said that the Political Parties Act requires all political parties to declare their sources of funds every financial year. He further added that all the criminal law enforcement agencies will through the multi-agency teams, coordinate and collaborate to ensure such cases are expeditiously investigated and offenders prosecuted.
“This will be monitored clearly during the campaign period to ensure that there are no excesses in terms of monies declared vis a vis their expenditure,” Kemo said.
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