The matter between Nairobi Technical Institute student Felesta Nyamathira Njoroge and the Asset Recovery Agency, which ordered the freezing of Sh102million from her accounts, has taken a new twist.
The government has frozen another batch of money linked to Felesta’s boyfriend, bringing the total amount of cash held to Sh210 million.
According to a report by Business Daily on Wednesday, December 15, Sh71.2 million and Sh37 million was discovered in two separate accounts at Equity Bank.
The two accounts, totalling Sh108 million, were held in the name of Tebby Wambui Kago but the source was linked to Marc De Mesel.
In another twist, the businessman has a child with Tebby. The child was born in June 2020.
“Got another gorgeous baby here in Africa, her name is Mxxx , sister of Jxxx, half sister of Mxxx. Tebby recovering slowly but happy. She can’t believe her eyes. I love her so much. Little so beautiful as your own child. Happy Father’s Day to all Father’s following me,” he said at the time.
Another Sh5 million was also discovered at Stanbic Bank held in Ms Njoroge’s name, adding to the Sh102 million that as frozen by the ARA.
High Court Judge Justice Esther Maina ordered the freezing of the money discovered in the new accounts.
The ARA is investigating the source of the money sent by the cryptocurrency billionaire.
“The pattern of transaction in the accounts in issue and the activities of one De Mesel Marc and the Respondents depicts money laundering activities and this Honourable Court ought to issue the orders sought,” the agency told the court.
“A preliminary analysis of the bank statement for account number *** held at Equity Bank Limited in the name of the 1st Respondent has established that the account received a cumulative sum of KES 37,000,000 in one single suspicious transaction in the month of November 2021,” the ARA said.
The authorities argued that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the funds held in the accounts are proceeds of crime acquired through illicit and money laundering schemes designed to conceal, disguise the nature, source location and movement of the funds.
This comes just as Ms Njoroge had launched an appeal against the initial freeze order, saying defending that there was no evidence to show the money was obtained illegally.
“The Respondent obtained sweeping and radical orders against me without making any material disclosure as to whether financial due process was not adhered to in the transfer of the funds to me,” she said in an affidavit.
