Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi, Kapseret member of parliament Oscar Sudi, and High Court Judge Chacha Mwita are the prominent Kenyans that are being targetted by the US over links to Narcotics
There is increased fear and trepidation in Kenyan government circles after some of its prominent citizens who were named in US court papers as having received millions of dollars in bribes from the Akasha Drug cartel family face possibility of federal indictments being unsealed against them and their prosecution in US courts.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agents are due to arrive in Kenya as part of continuing efforts to cripple the operations of what US authorities referred to as the Akasha organisation. Their presence in Kenya signals the start of extradition proceedings which may start with several high profile arrests.
According to credible information, the DEA special agents are expected to team up with their Kenyan counterparts in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in a final investigation plan that aims to destroy the remaining tentacles of the feared Akasha drug cartel.
Baktash Akasha, his brother Ibrahim, Gulam Hussein and Vijaygiri Goswami were arrested in Mombasa and extradicted to USA for conspiracy to import heroin and methamphetamine into the United States
This new development follows the sensational outcome of the trial in US where Baktash Akasha, 41, and his brother Ibrahim Akasha, 29, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan to seven criminal charges, including distribution of heroin and methamphetamine and conspiracy to import the drugs into the USA.
The trial exposed the Akasha cartel as one of the most powerful drug cartel in the Eastern coast of Africa which is considered by the United States Department of Justice as one most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in our part of world.
Consequently, inter-governmental probe team is expected to move into action as early as next week and having prioritized the arrest and extradition individuals believed to have closely worked in support of the Akasha criminal enterprise.
US authorities consider Kenyan judiciary totally incapable of successfully prosecuting and convicting these powerful individuals.
The list of those at risk of arrest includes senior politicians and government officials, high court judges, magistrates, prosecutors and prominent advocates, law enforcement officers, and bank officials.
WApart from wealthy Mombasa businessman Ali Badrudin Punjani, and the Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Ibrahim Khatri, the teams are looking to apprehend at least ten other prominent Kenyans that include Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi, and Kapseret member of parliament Oscar Sudi.
Others include High Court judges, Chacha Mwita and Judy Chepwony. Sources also confirmed that the US-DEA was also actively investigating former Coast Police Boss Kingori Mwangi who is now Commandant at the Kiganjo Police Training.
Also under radar and possible arrest are prominent Nairobi lawyer Cliff Ombeta who has for many years appeared in court in defence of the Akash clan.
The source added Mombasa Speaker Khatri had specifically been pinpointed as a person of interest with other SEA agents flying to Dubai in the UAE to establish his operations in that country since his passport indicated he is a frequent flier to the Emirates where he also has permanent residency. His associates in UAE have for the last few years been placed under observation.
US agents are also keenly probing Speaker Khatri’s regular travels to Italy and links with cells of Italian mafia known to be running violent drug cartels between US and Western Europe.
According to a source closely involved in the investigation, the US special agents drawn from the New York division are leaving nothing to chance will accordingly be looking to totally cripple existing operations of the Akasha cartels’ financial and logistical infrastructure.
The cartel is believed to have its base in Mombasa in Kenya from where it grew and extended to Dubai in the UAE and then on to the lucrative drug consuming markets of Europe and the far East.
US authorities are also considering to impose economic sanctions against several Kenyan commercial entities affiliated with the Akasha organisation.
The Akasha brothers were extradited to the United States from Kenya in January 2017 along with Gulam Hussein, a Pakistani national charged with heading a drug transportation network, and Vijaygiri Goswami, an Indian drug dealer who was accused of managing the Akasha organization’s drug business.
Credit: Kenya News
