This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
Ali Punjani, a businessman and suspected drug trafficker, is expected to return to Kenya on Monday, August 26, 2019, after undergoing an open-heart surgery in India.
According to his travel documents, Mr. Punjani is scheduled to arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi at 10:20 am and will then connect to a flight to Mombasa, which is expected to arrive at 2:30 pm.
Upon his arrival, Mr. Punjani will be arrested for interrogation by the Mombasa police, who have been investigating him for his alleged involvement in the narcotics trade.
Outgoing Mombasa police boss Johnston Ipara had maintained that Mr. Punjani remains a drug trafficking suspect and that the police have evidence to prove his involvement in the trade.
Mr. Ipara stated, “We will arrest him the minute he gets into the country. We want him to come and explain to us where he got all his wealth. We got a lot of cheques, title deeds, and more than Sh63,000 from his house during our crackdown.”
Mr. Punjani had been in India for the past three weeks undergoing treatment for a heart condition, which was diagnosed after a check-up at The Heart Lung Diagnostic Centre in Mombasa.
His treatment in India cost between $3,200 to $6,000, with the heart bypass surgery estimated to cost $4,500.
