The UK and US have sanctioned British-Kenyan businessman Kamlesh Pattni, freezing his assets along with those of four others, including his wife and brother-in-law, over alleged involvement in the illicit gold trade, the UK Foreign Office announced.
Kamlesh Pattni, implicated in Kenya's £470 million ($600m) Goldenberg scandal, has also faced allegations of involvement in Zimbabwe’s illicit gold trade, which he denies. The UK statement called illicit gold “an assault on legitimate trade,” fueling corruption, undermining law, and entrenching abuses like child labor.
The UK claims Russia exploits the illicit gold trade to launder money and evade sanctions, directly supporting President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Western nations, including the UK, banned Russian gold imports in 2022 to limit Moscow's war funding. The sanctions against Kamlesh Pattni aim to "disrupt and deter" his business dealings tied to this illegal trade.
Kamlesh Pattni is accused of being a central figure in the Goldenberg scandal, a massive gold and currency fraud in the 1990s that nearly bankrupted Kenya and implicated senior government officials.
Although he faced trial in 2006 for his alleged role, the case collapsed. Pattni later reinvented himself as a selfproclaimed pastor.
The UK’s sanctions announcement coincides with the launch of a new programme aimed at combating global corruption.
