Court exhibits from a federal fraud trial in Minnesota, U.S., have revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds were spent after being siphoned from a U.S. programme intended to provide meals for children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Obtained by CBS News, the files document how the defendants used the money for luxury travel, vehicles, property, international wire transfers and cash withdrawals.
According to court documents and reporting by Sahan Journal, some of the funds were invested in properties, including a high-rise building under construction in a Nairobi leafy suburb.
Among the exhibits is a confirmation email for a stay at a luxury resort in the Maldives showing an overwater villa with a private pool. Videos entered into evidence show the defendants celebrating with champagne at the resort.
Court records also include receipts for first-class airline tickets to destinations such as Istanbul, the United Arab Emirates and Amsterdam.
Additionally, the exhibits show purchases of luxury vehicles, including a 2021 Porsche Macan. Photos of the car were also presented as evidence in the government's case during the trial.
There was also evidence of a lakefront property in Minnesota, which prosecutors linked to the misuse of the taxpayer funds.
Several exhibits document large cash withdrawals and exchanges. One image presented in court shows a box filled with cash alongside a text message that reads “270,000 dollars”, which is equivalent to Ksh35.7 million.
Text messages exchanged between defendants discussing money were also included as part of the evidence.
Court records show that defendants wired millions of dollars overseas. The exhibits include receipts showing transfers to banks and companies in China, as well as to East Africa.
Nearly $3 million, which is equivalent to Ksh385.7 million, was transferred to accounts in Kenya, according to the files reviewed by CBS News.
One suspect made six wire transfers of more than $1 million (Ksh129 million) to banks in China between February and July 2021.
In another text message presented in court, the suspect instructed someone to send $ 1,000 (Ksh129,000) to an alleged Al-Shabaab sympathiser.
One defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $48 million (approximately Ksh6.1 billion) in restitution for his role in the scheme.
