Govt Gives Back Ksh113M Gifted To University Girl By Belgian Lover

One of the four women who had Ksh113 million gifted to her by Belgian tycoon, Marc De Mesel can breathe a sigh of relief after the government agreed to refund the money it seized from her.

Appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court on Monday, January 30, the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), through lawyer Mohamed Adow, filed a request to have the case against Tebby Wambuku Kago dropped.

Tebby was dragged into a money-laundering case after Ksh113 million was found in suspicious circumstances in her bank account.

Belgian tycoon Marc De Mesel with his Kenyan lovers. /FILE

She was said to have been gifted the money by De Mesel in April 2021 while they were in a casual relationship.

Adow noted that ARA could not prove that the funds were illegally obtained by the Belgian.

"The investigations into the case found no sufficient evidence to sustain the forfeiture proceedings. We have consent signed by both parties to have the matter withdrawn,” Adow noted.

In response, the judge referred to the consent form tabled and granted the plea by the lawyer, meaning that the case was closed and Wambuku would have full access to the funds, which were temporarily withheld by the government for over a year.

ARA had frozen the account in 2021 after discovering irregularities in the sum of money deposited into her bank account. While seeking orders to hold the cash, the agency wondered how Wambuku made Ksh113 million just six months after opening the account.

The Kenyan had revealed that she was self-employed, a matter that worried the government which suspected that the funds were derived from proceeds of crime.

Mesel, a cryptocurrency expert, was also said to have wired Sh300 million to three other Kenyan women including a university student. These are Wambuku's sister Jane Wangui Kago, her friend Felista Nyamathira Njoroge and Sarah Wambui Kamanda. 

Wambuku received Ksh113 million, Njoroge Ksh109 million, Wangui Ksh49 million, and Wambui Ksh100 million. The three women also claimed to be in a romantic relationship with the Belgian tycoon.

Another beneficiary was a Kirinyaga University student Timothy Waigwa, a 22-year-old, who was handed Ksh47 million.