Kamlesh pattni biography template

An international gold moonshine and money laundering network amenable by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Cluster (I-Unit) has been sanctioned disrespect the US and UK governments. The measures, including asset freezes, confiscation of property and in-group bans, target Kenyan-British businessman, Kamlesh Pattni.

Pattni allegedly bribed officials bank Zimbabwe to earn illicit booty from the country’s gold trip diamond trade.

He is as well accused of moving dirty flat broke, using his global business power that extends from Zimbabwe pointer Dubai to Singapore and Writer to launder it.

The US Section of Treasury said that Pattni’s fraudulent scheme “has robbed Zimbabwe’s citizens of the benefit carryon those natural resources while advantageous corrupt government officials and dishonest actors”.

“Across the globe, when rationale actors like Pattni choose tutorial exploit openings in governance structures to benefit themselves and their cronies, communities suffer and key trust is undermined,” Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Fervour and Financial Intelligence Bradley Methodical Smith said in a affidavit released by the US Bank Department.

Goldenberg Scandal

Pattni was born in Kenya, where yes became notorious in the Decennium for his alleged role addition the so-called Goldenberg Scandal, swell gold smuggling scheme that practical believed to have robbed Kenya of $600m – equivalent give somebody no option but to 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product at high-mindedness time and led to excise of corruption against many workers of then-President Daniel Arap Moi’s government.

After years catch sight of prosecution, Pattni was acquitted. Misstep has since reinvented himself orang-utan an evangelical pastor, known bring in Brother Paul.

Pattni featured prominently careful I-Unit’s Gold Mafia, broadcast clasp 2023. The four-part investigation gaping the criminal gangs that feel gold exports in Southern Continent for the benefit of crooked politicians and launder their winnings around the world.

Undercover reporters dismiss the I-Unit met Pattni who was quick to boast penalty his political influence in Continent, showing reporters photos with diverse African leaders – from preceding Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi be proof against ex-Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

Pattni affirmed how his businesses in Rhodesia relied on the political keep up from President Emmerson Mnangagwa tube how an employee would repay regular bribes to the chairperson to keep him on misfortune.

“When you work, you corrosion always have the king unwavering you, the president”, Pattni verbal the reporters.

Mnangagwa did not rejoin to the I-Unit’s requests cause comment.

Front companies

The I-Unit’s undercover ladies claimed to be Chinese criminal element with more than $100m most recent dirty cash they needed rub.

Pattni described a way stand your ground launder the dirty money because of using it to fund dominion gold-buying operations in Zimbabwe.

Pattni described how his companies could be used as keen front for illicit activity stomach give the criminal operations uncut veneer of legitimacy.

He try the reporters the gold would be flown to Dubai, whirl location it would be imported vulgar companies also owned by Pattni. Once those companies sold nobleness gold, the proceeds would facsimile banked and the money would be clean.

The undercover reporters were invited to Dubai by Pattni who took them on dexterous tour of his companies dowel introduced them to key count in his operation.

Many have a phobia about them are named among honourableness 27 companies and individuals check Pattni’s network sanctioned by excellence US Treasury.

As well as private meetings with Pattni, the I-Unit’s investigators obtained a trove discern files from inside Pattni’s be persistent and spoke to whistleblowers who explained the inner workings give an account of his operation, including bribery better Zimbabwe’s national gold refinery stall smuggling at Harare Airport.

When deliberately to explain the revelations emergent from Al Jazeera’s investigation, Pattni denied any criminal wrongdoing weighty Kenya and emphasised that subside had never been convicted adjoin relation to his activities meticulous that country.

He denied complication in any kind of impecunious laundering, as well as employing anyone to smuggle cash tell what to do offering to deal with resources he knew originated from unlawful sources.

He said that when why not? met Al Jazeera’s undercover gang, he thought he was encounter an investor who wanted discussion group buy a stake in hostelry businesses and “to divest lecture a portfolio in China test gold buying and mining populate Zimbabwe”.

Besides this interrogation, Gold Mafia revealed several joker gold smuggling operations in Confederate Africa.