On Monday, November 19, 2018, the High Court moved to lock down assets tied to businessman Joseph Wanjohi and his wife Jane Wambui, after the Asset Recovery Agency asked the court to preserve property it says may be proceeds of crime.
Justice Hedwig Ong’undi granted orders freezing Sh10.5 million held in a Barclays Bank account linked to the couple. The court also stopped any transfer of their Range Rover and Mercedes Benz vehicles, together with three parcels of land in Nairobi.
The ARA told the court that the preservation case was connected to criminal matters involving heroin trafficking and possession of elephant tusks. Court papers also say the respondents were under investigation for narcotics trafficking, money laundering, proceeds of crime and organised crime.
In the ruling, Justice Ong’undi barred the couple, or anyone acting for them, from withdrawing, using, transferring or otherwise dealing with the funds in the accounts. She further ordered them to surrender the motor vehicles to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi within seven days.
The judge added that if the trader failed to hand over the vehicles, the DCI would be at liberty to seize and detain them. The couple was also directed to surrender the original log books to the ARA immediately, while the Chief Land Register was told to place caveats on the land to prevent disposal.
According to the documents before court, Wanjohi and Wambui had previously been charged in the Kibera Chief Magistrate’s Court over trafficking in narcotics, but the outcome of that case could not be confirmed because the file could not be traced.
The pair were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in July 2018, and four pieces of elephant tusks were later recovered from their residence. They were charged the following day with being in possession of wildlife trophy.
The court record also notes that in 2009, Wanjohi and his wife faced heroin trafficking charges after a police raid at their Muthaiga home. After the JKIA arrest, police said they recovered assorted alcoholic drinks, Sh469,000, a car and mobile phones from the residence.
The ARA argued that there was evidence the cash and property were proceeds of crime, and asked the court to freeze the assets while the related cases continue.
