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The UK and US governments have imposed sanctions on a British-Kenyan businessman over his alleged involvement within the illicit gold commerce.
Kamlesh Pattni, and 4 others together with his spouse and brother-in-law, may have their property frozen, a statement from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office learn.
He was implicated in considered one of Kenya’s greatest corruption scandals, Goldenberg, which is believed to have value the nation a minimum of $600m (£470m). He has since confronted allegations of involvement within the illicit gold commerce in Zimbabwe, which he has beforehand denied.
The BBC has requested him for remark.
“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,” learn the UK assertion.
It goes to say that Russia makes use of unlawful gold to fund its warfare in Ukraine.
“Russia uses the illicit gold trade to launder money and evade sanctions, in doing so bolsters [President Vladimir] Putin’s war efforts.”
The UK and different Western nations banned the import of Russian gold in 2022 to cease Moscow’s capacity to fund the warfare.
The UK mentioned the sanctions had been meant to “disrupt and deter” the enterprise dealings of Pattni.
He was allegedly one of many key architects of the Goldenberg scandal – a significant gold and foreign money fraud within the Nineties which just about bankrupted Kenya and concerned senior members of Kenya’s authorities.
He confronted a trial in 2006 for his alleged function within the scheme, however proceedings collapsed. Pattni later grew to become a self-proclaimed pastor.
According to the US Treasury, Pattni was pals with former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and used this relationship to earn a living by exploiting the nation’s pure sources.
“This fraudulent scheme robbed Zimbabwe’s citizens of the benefit of those natural resources while enriching corrupt government officials and criminal actors,” it learn.
Pattni was implicated in Al-Jazeera’s explosive investigation into the “gold mafia” in Zimbabwe. He denied any involvement in cash laundering or gold smuggling.
The US Treasury mentioned Pattni’s unlawful community spanned a number of nations.
The announcement comes because the UK authorities outlined a brand new programme to assist deal with world corruption.
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