EACC To Pay Pattni Sh20.5M Plus Interest

Businessman Kamlesh Pattni is set to receive millions of shillings from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after the agency lost a Court of Appeal suit challenging the payment.

Three Court of Appeal judges dismissed an appeal by the anti-graft agency saying the compensation fee of Sh20.5 million to the two companies associated with Mr Pattni was valid.

EACC will now pay Mr Pattni the Sh20.5 million plus interest for the more than 15 years that the dispute has been in court.

Mr Pattni had been tried but never convicted despite multiple investigations into the suspected loss of some $1 billion (Sh103 billion) of public funds over bogus diamond and gold exports, in the infamous Goldenberg scandal.

The Goldenberg scandal nearly ruined the Kenyan economy, spurred inflation, devaluation of the shilling and prompted international donors to cut funding to then President Daniel arap Moi’s regime.

The anti-graft agency had sought to place Marshalls East Africa Ltd and Delphis Bank as well as seven other companies under receivership, arguing that they were acquired using Goldenberg.

Marshalls East Africa Ltd and Delphis Bank Ltd sought Sh60, 470,778 and Sh80, 573,021, respectively, but the court’s deputy registrar reduced the fee to Sh10,266,320 for each of the firms.