FBI pledges support for Kenya in war on corruption, terrorism

The United States Government promised to help establish a joint Anti-Terrorism task force in Kenya.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has pledged its support in Kenya’s fight against corruption.

This follows a meeting between a Kenyan delegation led by the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and FBI deputy director David Bowdich in Washington DC.

At the meeting, which took place at the bureau’s headquarters on Tuesday, Bowdich also lauded the anti-corruption efforts by the two.

“… Mr. Bowdich lauded the Anti-corruption efforts by the duo and promised full support from the USA Gov’t,” the DCI stated through its twitter account.

The discussions also touched on Anti-terrorism matters where the US promised to help establish a Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force in Kenya.

The Kenyan team is in the US up to Friday and is scheduled to meet officials at the US department of justice for discussions.

Haji said the meetings will be crucial and helpful to the Kenyan team that is eager to learn much on issues that include money laundering and corruption at large.

“We will come back richer and well equipped with knowledge on these issues disturbing us. Corruption is allover and need to be tamed,” he said.

Kinoti is accompanied by officers from Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and others from his office. He said they are eager to learn from the best police outfit in the world.

US ambassador to Kenya said in an opinion the US has provided military, medical and disaster response training to Kenya.

“Recently, we conducted a course for Kenyan law enforcement officers that taught prosecutors and police advanced techniques on how to disrupt terrorist incidents and successfully prosecute terrorists,” he said.

He added Washington committed to enhance counter terrorism, defence and maritime security assistance and will work with Kenya to help develop its new Coast Guard Service.

It is believed Haji and Kinoti now feel they have the support of Europe in tracing stolen billions and the invite to US will boost the efforts to tame corruption.

Organized crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking and intelligence sharing will also be in focus, Haji said.

Kenya extradited the Akasha brothers, Baktash and Ibrahim along with Gulam Hussein, a Pakistani national charged with heading a drug transportation network, and Vijaygiri Goswami, an Indian businessman accused of managing the Akasha organization’s drug business to the US in 2017 where the two are waiting to be sentenced over drug trafficking charges.

 

They were arrested in Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2014 in a U.S.-led sting operation, in which authorities said the Akasha organization provided 99 kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine to DEA informants posing as drug traffickers.

As part of a deal made in October with US prosecutors, each is facing a prison term that could range from 10 years to life.

The brothers agreed then to plead guilty to seven criminal charges, including bribing unnamed Kenyan officials.

The terms of the agreement also indicate that the Akashas may each be fined up to $10 million (Sh1 billion) and be required to forfeit all the money obtained through their confessed drug dealings.

The trip comes weeks after Haji led a similar one to UK, Jersey Island accompanied by Ethics and Anti-Corruption boss Twalib Mbarak.