By The Weekly Vision
When a video of a noticeably disturbed former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko first appeared on social media on Monday, 15 May 2023 showing him bragging about how he had tons of money, many viewers thought something was amiss. The video showed a seemingly agitated Sonko with 8- gold-plated aluminium cases containing US dollars and Kenyan shillings in millions. Contrary to what his detractors claim, many Kenyans wondered about the source of the money.
A source close to Mr Sonko has however revealed to The Weekly Vision that in April, Mr Sonko won a case against the Asset Recovery Agency which had frozen his bank accounts over claims the money held in the accounts was from proceeds of money laundering activities. Mr Sonko got a reprieve after High Court Judge J. Maina in a ruling dated 13th April 2023 ruled in his favour.
The source further adds that since he knew well that the ARA was most likely to lodge an appeal that could have resulted in the court order that the money be held by the agency until the appeal is fully heard and determined, Mr Sonko went into panic mode and made huge withdrawals to keep his money safely at home.
On May 21, 2022, the Assets Recovery Agency filed an originating motion in which it sought orders to declare that the funds held in Sonko’s bank accounts were proceeds of crime.
Ksh. 4, 249, 785.90 was held in account No 00202643xxxxx at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko. Kshs 1,465,576.80 was held in account number 13802623xxxxx also at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko. Ksh. 2,906,213.90 held in account number 15802614xxxxx at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko, Kshs 2,692,704.50 held in account number 03502991xxxxx at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko, Kshs 1,296,033.07 held in account number 16202625xxxxx at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko and USD 20, 906.90 held in Account number 13802623xxxxx at Equity Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko.
Others are Kshs 2,235,015.27 held in account number 081649xxxxx at Diamond Trust Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko, Kshs 1,161,889.29 held in account number 011431997xxxxx at Co-operative Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko, USD 7, 573.03 held in account number 08164xxxxx at Diamond Trust Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko, USD 39,426.50 held in account number 50488xxxxx at Diamond Trust Bank Limited in the name of Mike Sonko Mbuvi Gidion Kioko.
An affidavit of CPL Sautet Jeremiah, a police officer attached to the Asset Recovery and that the agency received information on suspected money laundering and proceeds of crime by Sonko, private companies, entities and other individuals involving public funds from Nairobi city-county government. He claimed that the agency conducted investigations which revealed that Sonko’s accounts had received huge suspicious cash deposits/transfers both in US dollars and Kenya shillings.
Further investigations and financial analysis by the agency into Sonko’s accounts revealed that between August 2017 and December 2019, he received huge suspicious cash deposits in different bank accounts depicting a clear case of money laundering designed to conceal, disguise and hide the nature and source of funds and thereby acquire and benefit from proceeds of Crime.
