The two extradited sons of slain drug lord Ibrahim Akasha have accused government agents of allegedly walking away with part of his multi-billion property.
Ibrahim Akasha (Junior) and Baktash Akasha, on Friday, January 10, 2020, were sentenced to 23 and 25 years in jail respectively, by the US District Judge Victor Marrero in the Manhattan Federal Court. They had both pleaded guilty to trafficking heroin and methamphetamine among other drug-related crimes.
Through their lawyers, the two brothers filed a suit at a Mombasa Court claiming that their property, which was seized by several investigative agencies, could not be traced. The duo tabled their formal complaints before Mombasa High Court Judge Erick Ogolla.
The duo, through their attorney Kiogora Mugambi, said that the state cannot account for high-end vehicles, gold bars and jewellery, expensive iPhones and firearms.
This, they alleged were nabbed during the police raids at their lavish homes at the Coast.
Their lawyer argued that there was a sinister move behind the loss of the property and that the government did not keep an official record of the valuables they seized. Lawyer Mugambi alleged that a Range Rover and Toyota Premio were released to the wife of Ibrahim's brother, Baktash Akasha.
However, the reversal was done without any police or court order, according to their lawyer.
"Why do they release the items partially. It is not yet elaborate on how investigative agencies released items liable for forfeiture. Six years down since the cases began and there are no preservation orders sought by the state agencies, against the seized items," Mugambi said.
The two brothers further told the court that they were tipped off by their own sources, that the items are in the hands of the police who raided their homes. They petitioned the court to order Mombasa Law Courts Deputy Registrar to verify the lost property and ensure police account for them.
Police officers, however, refuted the claims and argued that the items were safely kept and recorded by the multiple investigative agencies, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Assets and Recovery Agency (ARA).
ARA on January 28, said that it would seize more of Akasha's property, with a Ksh400 million Nyali house targetted first.
Director of Anti-Narcotic Police Unit Dr Hamisi Massa added that they would find ways to take over the property which was transferred to the children of the drug lords.
