Wash Wash: Court Bars Anthony Kepha Odiero From Accessing Sh53M In His Bank Account Over Money Laundering Case

The High Court has frozen a bank account with Sh53 million in US dollars belonging to a businessman over links to proceeds of crime.

Justice Diana Kavedza also blocked businessman Anthony Kepha Odiero from transferring or selling to high-end vehicles, for three months.

The judge issued the orders following an application by Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), after investigating the activities in the account at National Bank of Kenya (NBK).

The court prohibited him, his employees or agents from dealing, withdrawing or withdrawing the USD 368,185.77, to allow the agency to file an application for forfeiture of the money and vehicles to the government.

In the ruling, Justice Kavedza ordered Odiero to surrender the Range Rover and Mercedes Benz E250 and their logbooks to ARA, within seven days.

The court at the same time directed Director General NTSA to register caveats against the vehicles.

“The orders shall remain in force for ninety (90) days as provided in section 84 of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering,” ruled the judge.

Justice Kavedza directed the matter shall be mentioned on 22nd November for further directions.

“It is in the interest of justice that the orders sought herein be granted as there is an imminent risk that the funds and the motor vehicles sought to be preserved may dissipate,” the agency said in the application.

The agency submitted that Odiero will continue to enjoy the benefits derived from proceeds of crime, unless the court intervened.

The court was informed that on 12th June 2023, the Agency received information on a suspected case of money laundering by Odiero.

The agency obtained warrants to investigate the suspect accounts from a Milimani court.

Preliminary investigations established that Odiero is involved in a suspected scheme of money laundering as flagged in his bank account and ultimately used the illegitimately acquired funds to purchase motor vehicles which is been identified by the Agency.

Odiero holds a personal account at National Bank USD account number , in which holds his deposits large sums of money together with other unclear transactions totaling to USD 1,138,729.54 from an unknown source.

The documents indicate that the businessman received suspicious funds amounting to a total of USD 596,500.00 between 2020 and 2023, which are reasonably believed to be proceeds of crime or intended for the commission of crime.

The court further heard that there were massive suspicious cash deposits, withdrawals, and transfers in suspicious complex money laundering schemes.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the Odiero’s bank account is used as conduits of money laundering in an effort to conceal, disguise the nature, source, disposition, and movement of the illegitimately acquired funds and should be preserved as provided under POCAMLA,” the agency told the Judge.

The court heard that investigations established that the Odieroacquired the following motor vehicles through money laundering Kde 369G Range Rover and Kcn 8800 Mercedes-Benz E250.