US and UK sanctions Gold smuggler Kamlesh Pattni
The United Kingdom (UK) has imposed sanctions on people including British-Kenyan gold smuggler Kamlesh Pattni
The United Kingdom (UK) has imposed sanctions on people including British-Kenyan gold smuggler Kamlesh Pattni.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Pattni is accused of exporting gold from southern Africa to launder dirty money alongside his sister and brother-in-law.
In a statement on Monday, December 9, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK government is working to make the country a hostile environment for the corrupt.
“This government will make the UK a hostile environment for the corrupt and their ill-gotten gains as we put national security as a foundation of our Plan for Change and decade of national renewal.
“That’s why I’m delighted to confirm further funding to the National Crime Agency’s International Corruption Unit and welcome Baroness Hodge as the UK’s Anti-Corruption Champion to bear down on this menace,” Lammy said.
The newly named anti-corruption champion, Baroness Hodge of Barking, Margaret Eve, committed to working closely with Parliament and other shareholders to end corruption and organized crime in the UK and abroad.
“After years of campaigning on the issue, I feel privileged and delighted to be able to work as the Government’s champion, combatting corruption and the illicit finance that flows from it, both at home and abroad.
“The time has now come to put an end to dither and delay. We must take determined and effective action and I look forward to playing my part in that work,” she said.
Following the sanctions, Pattni and four others including gold traders Anto Joseph and Alain Goetz will be subjected to asset freezes.
This comes months after Pattni, who is linked to the Goldenberg scandal, was exposed in a documentary series.
The investigation revealed his involvement in a gold smuggling syndicate operating from Zimbabwe to the UAE.
In the exposé, Pattni claimed to have exploited connections with government officials to secure exclusive licenses for gold export, facilitating illicit trade and money laundering.
Despite his admissions, he later denied any wrongdoing, asserting he had never been convicted of illegal activities.
Businessman Kamlesh Pattni is also among 28 individuals the US has sanctioned for their alleged ties with a global gold smuggling and money laundering network based in Zimbabwe.
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while marking International Anti-Corruption Day, issued the sanctions pursuant to Executive Order13818, which targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.
The department said the global network led by Pattni allegedly facilitated illicit activities by bribing officials, deploying trusted supporters to mask ownership, and weaving a global web of businesses to hide the illicit activities.
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It said the fraudulent scheme has reportedly robbed Zimbabwe’s citizens of the benefit of those natural resources while enriching corrupt government officials and criminal actors.
“Across the globe, when corrupt actors like Pattni choose to exploit openings in governance structures to benefit themselves and their cronies, communities suffer and public trust is undermined,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.
“Corruption respects no borders, and its consequences are felt worldwide. As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day, the United States reaffirms our commitment to use all available tools to hold these individuals to account for their schemes.”
The department added that Pattni’s network allegedly illustrates the globalised nature of corruption, stating that the action demonstrates a way to counter it: a whole-of-government approach and collaboration with allies and partners.
It said Monday’s action was coordinated with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the United Kingdom (UK), reflecting the principles of The United States Strategy on Countering Corruption, released in December 2021, which has been pivotal to the fight against corruption.
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