The UK government has imposed further sanctions targeting individuals including controversial millionaire and pastor Kamlesh Pattni involved in illicit gold operations.
The International Corruption Unit (ICU) is at the forefront of these investigations, focusing on high-ranking officials’ corruption overseas, bribery involving UK-based interests, and cross-border bribery with connections to the UK.
The latest sanctions particularly spotlight Kamlesh Pattni, a notorious British-Kenyan gold smuggler previously entangled in the infamous Goldenberg scandal of the 1990s.
Pattni was implicated in a scheme that siphoned off a staggering $600 million from the Kenyan economy.
Although he evaded conviction after years of legal battles, Pattni has resurfaced, now operating from Dubai and allegedly running similar smuggling operations in Zimbabwe and other locations.
The recent sanctions freeze the assets of Pattni and two of his close associates—his wife and brother-in-law—who have longstanding ties to his business activities.
This move is expected to impose significant disruption on his operations, which reportedly facilitate the laundering of over $100 million through the transformation of dirty money into exported gold.
The investigative findings, revealed in Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” series, provide a chilling insight into Pattni’s ongoing activities. Undercover reporters, posing as criminal associates, were shown multiple methods to clean vast sums of illicit income through gold trading.
The UK sanctions also extend to Alain Goetz, a Belgian gold trader notorious for his extraction of illicit gold from politically unstable regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Goetz’s operations are linked to armed groups known for egregious human rights abuses, further exemplifying the interconnectedness of illegal mining and global corruption.
Additionally, the sanctions encompass Anto Joseph, the CEO of multiple gold trading companies, including Paloma Precious, which has reportedly spent over $300 million on Russian gold.
This transaction is particularly concerning, as it indirectly supports the Russian government amidst ongoing military actions in Ukraine.
These sanctions are part of a broader commitment by the UK to clamp down on corrupt practices that have repercussions not only for the nations implicated but for the global community at large.
The asset freezes and travel bans instituted aim to hinder the operations of those who exploit legal and financial systems for personal gain.
