THE UK and US have imposed financial sanctions on Kamlesh Pattni, a British-Kenyan businessman with a controversial financial history. The punitive measures target Pattni and four of his close family members, including his wife and brother-in-law, reported the BBC.
The sanctions, announced by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, will result in the immediate freezing of assets, representing a significant intervention in what officials describe as a complex network of illicit gold trading spanning multiple African nations.
Pattni, a controversial figure with a long history of financial irregularities, stands accused of central involvement in the infamous Goldenberg scandal—a massive corruption episode in Kenya during the 1990s that is estimated to have caused approximately £470 million in national economic damage.
Despite previous legal proceedings in 2006 that ultimately collapsed, Pattni has continued to be a subject of intense scrutiny.
The British government's statement strongly condemned the illegal gold trade, characterising it as a fundamental threat to legitimate economic practices.
Officials described these activities as actively fuelling corruption, systematically undermining legal frameworks, and perpetuating severe human rights violations, including the exploitation of child labour.
The sanctions announcement also highlighted how similar illegal trading mechanisms have been exploited by other international actors. The statement referenced Russia's use of illicit gold trading as a method to launder money, evade international sanctions, and potentially support military operations in Ukraine—a practice Western nations have been actively working to curtail since banning Russian gold imports in 2022.
According to US Treasury documentation, Pattni's alleged misconduct extends beyond Kenya, with claims that he leveraged personal relationships with former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe to systematically exploit natural resources.
The Treasury accused Pattni of operating a fraudulent scheme that deprived Zimbabwe's citizens of legitimate economic benefits while simultaneously enriching corrupt government officials and criminal networks.
Pattni, who has since reinvented himself as a self-proclaimed pastor, was prominently featured in an Al-Jazeera investigation into what was termed the "gold mafia" in Zimbabwe.
Despite being directly implicated in these investigations, he has consistently denied any involvement in money laundering or gold smuggling activities.
The US Treasury said Pattni's network spanned several countries, including entities in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Kyrgyzstan.
The action marked International Anti-Corruption Day, the Treasury said.
Alongside the latest sanctions, the British government appointed a new 'Anti-Corruption Champion' to help coordinate efforts between parliament, the private sector and civil society to clamp down on all forms of corruption.
The role was given to Margaret Hodge, a former lawmaker in the Labour party who has spent much of her 30-year political career campaigning against domestic and international corruption. She is now a member of the House of Lords.
Britain will publish a new anti-corruption strategy in 2025.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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