Title: “FBI Director’s Visit: Kenya Cracks Down on Money Laundering Cases Involving Fake Gold Scammers”
Kenya combats fake gold money laundering with neighboring countries a transit hub
- Nairobi, Kenya: In a recent press briefing on Tuesday, June 11, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, revealed that Kenyan detectives have contained the fake gold money laundering menace in the country, with some criminals fleeing to neighboring countries.
rogue lawyers abet the crime, 64 out of 71 reported cases identified and prosecuted
- Amin disclosed that some of the fake gold dealers are from mineral-producing countries, using Kenya as a transit hub. He blamed rogue lawyers for abetting the crime, reporting that 64 out of 71 reported cases have been identified and prosecuted, with both locals and foreigners among the suspects.
- Amin thanked the FBI for their assistance in recovering proceeds of crime and conducting social media investigations. He emphasized that the FBI has been an invaluable ally in Kenya’s war on corruption.
FBI Director Christopher Wray’s warning on “wash wash” business
- FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was in Nairobi for a two-day visit, echoed Amin’s sentiments on the prevalence of the fake gold scams and warned that the ”wash wash” business involving the trade of precious stones remains a significant transnational crime, often orchestrated by non-Kenyan criminal networks.
Collaboration between FBI and Kenyan institutions
- During his visit, Wray held meetings with various Kenyan officials to explore ways of increasing collaboration between institutions in countering transnational corruption and economic crimes.
EACC’s experience from collaborative efforts with the FBI
- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which has worked closely with the FBI since 2001, shared its experience on how collaborative efforts have benefited the commission, such as specialized training on undercover operations and modern investigative techniques.
- This support has been critical in empowering EACC investigators to deal with complex financial, economic, and corruption cases effectively.
Strengthening partnerships and enhancing cooperation
- After the meetings, all parties expressed a resolve to enhance partnerships between the FBI and EACC. The FBI pledged to provide additional training and resources to help the commission more effectively combat corruption and economic crimes.
- Opportunities for information exchange to support tracing and recovery of corruptly acquired assets were also explored.
Enthusiasm for the visit and the commission’s impact
- EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak expressed his enthusiasm for the visit, recognizing it as a major step in strengthening their partnership and deepening cooperation between the two organizations.
- He believes that with increased technical support from the FBI, the commission will have a stronger impact in investigating high-impact cases and robustly pursuing the recovery of illicitly acquired assets and unexplained wealth.