The UK and US governments have placed sanctions on Kenyan businessman Kamlesh Pattni, accusing him of being involved in the illegal gold trade.
Pattni, along with his wife and brother-in-law, will have their assets frozen. This move follows allegations that he has been smuggling gold out of Africa for years, a claim he has denied.
Pattni was also linked to one of Kenya’s largest corruption scandals, the Goldenberg scandal, which cost the country around $600 million.
The UK government said the sanctions aim to disrupt Pattni’s business activities and target those involved in illegal gold trade, which it claims fuels corruption and human rights abuses like child labor.
The statement also highlighted that Russia uses illicit gold to fund its war in Ukraine by laundering money and bypassing sanctions, a practice that the UK and other Western countries have tried to block by banning Russian gold imports since 2022.
Pattni has been connected to Zimbabwe’s gold trade as well, and the US Treasury accused him of exploiting the country’s natural resources for profit, enriching corrupt officials.
Pattni was also named in an investigation by Al-Jazeera into a “gold mafia” in Zimbabwe, though he denied any involvement in smuggling or money laundering.
The UK’s sanctions are part of a broader initiative to tackle global corruption, as noted by the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623716z8eeo