US Treasury links Mwau to Malindi cocaine haul

The United States said it has enough evidence that Kilome MP John Harun Mwau was a direct beneficiary of the 1.2 tonnes of cocaine, with a street value of Sh 7 billion, that was intercepted in Malindi in 2004. File

United States said it has enough evidence that Kilome MP John Harun Mwau was a direct beneficiary of the 1.2 tonnes of cocaine, with a street value of Sh7 billion, that was intercepted in Malindi in 2004.

Adam Szubin, the director of Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, said Mr Mwau imported drugs and protected drug traffickers.

Early this month, the US government announced it had frozen assets in the US belonging to Mr Mwau and another Kenyan known as Naima Mohamed Nyakiniywa or Mama Lela.

The department said companies where either of the suspects does not have more than 50 per cent ownership will not be directly affected by the sanctions. However, the department will advise on how to deal with companies where the kingpins may have minority stake.

According to police records, Mr Mwau owns companies like Nakumatt Holdings, Mwundo Ltd, Africa Centre for Hope Initiative Everywhere, Harun International Ltd, JH City Ltd, Preme Ltd, JN Records Ltd, Pepe Enterprises Ltd, Sheltown Ltd, Sports Champions Ltd, Tom Brown Ltd, Vitu Ltd and Kuston Kenya Ltd.

It is, however, not clear what his shareholding in the companies is. The 1.2 tonnes of drug, with a street value of Sh7 billion, was destroyed in 2006.

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