Illegal Gold Crackdown Lands Kamlesh Pattni In UK’s Sanction List
Kamlesh Pattni, a British-Kenyan businessman, was dealt a blow on Monday when the United Kingdom levied financial sanctions against him for corruption.
The International Corruption Unit (ICU), an institution that probes international bribery and corruption, sanctioned Pattni for using bribes to export gold from South Africa.
“Today’s sanctions consist of three individuals designated under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021,” read the statement in part.
“Kamlesh Pattni, a British-Kenyan businessman who has used bribery to export gold from southern Africa as a means of laundering dirty money.”
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned Kamlesh Pattni & 27 other individuals/businesses for running a global gold smuggling & money laundering network based in Zimbabwe.
— Mwango Capital (@MwangoCapital) December 10, 2024
Their operations exploited governance structures, robbed natural resources, & enriched… pic.twitter.com/v0tVfet19l
Pattni was sanctioned along with his wife and brother-in-law, who, according to the ICU, have a lengthy history of involvement in his network of firms.
British officials said they will seize assets belonging to Pattni and his colleagues.
In a statement, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office claimed the penalties aimed to disrupt the commercial transactions of Pattni, whom it accused of importing unlawful gold from South Africa.
The billionaire has already been linked to a number of scandals, including the Goldenberg scandal, which rocked the country in the 1990s.
Pattni Hit By UK Govt:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) December 9, 2024
UK slaps Kamlesh Pattni with sanctions
Pattni among 5 people hit by asset freezes
Pattni was accused in the Goldenberg scandal
UK says Pattni smuggles illicit gold
Pattni’s wife & brother in law also sanctioned #CitizenMondayReport @SamGituku pic.twitter.com/6POvSt2gSN
It involved the fake export of gold and other goods, which resulted in enormous financial losses for the Kenyan government.
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Pattni has been accused of utilizing bribery and corrupt methods to assist the export of gold from Southern Africa, raising worries about money laundering activities related to his enterprises.
The tycoon was sanctioned under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021, which empowers the government to impose asset freezes and travel bans on those involved in significant corruption and related offenses.
The sanctions against Pattni are part of a larger campaign by UK authorities to tackle transnational bribery and corruption, which has ramifications for both national and international security.
Pattni’s efforts, according to the British Graft Bureau, not only threaten economic stability but also help organized crime networks exploit natural resources in war zones.
Illegal Gold Crackdown Lands Kamlesh Pattni In UK’s Sanction List
