This archive report was first published on 21 August 2020.
On August 21, 2020, a High Court judge made a ruling that allowed Abdi Mohammed Ali, a Mandera County official, to withdraw Sh3 million from his frozen bank account.
The account, held at Equity Bank Mandera Branch, had a total of Sh63 million frozen on suspicion that it was proceeds of crime.
However, the judge, John Onyiego, allowed Ali to withdraw only Sh3 million on humanitarian grounds, stating that this would enable him to meet some immediate expenses, such as payment of school fees arrears and medical expenses.
Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) had opposed Ali's application, but the judge dismissed the objection, saying the agency failed to convince him to the required standards.
Ali had urged the court to give him partial and reasonable access to the account, pending the hearing and determination of the application for forfeiture of the money to the state.
On March 19, the High Court had issued orders freezing over Sh63 million being held in two accounts belonging to Ali and his wife, Saadia Sheikh Osma.
The court ordered the Sh40,806,532 million being held in an account of Abdi Mohammed Ali, a county employee, and another account jointly held by Ali and his wife, which has Sh21,448,100, to be preserved for 90 days.
