Felista Njoroge, a student at Nairobi Technical Training Institute (NTTI), has revealed the real purpose of the Ksh102 million gift bestowed on her by her Belgian boyfriend, Merc De Mesel.
The 21-year-old expectant mother who flew out of Nairobi, Kenya, to reunite with her boyfriend in Europe, was aggrieved by Asset Recovery Agency's decision to freeze her accounts.
The agency claimed that the money was suspiciously wired and alleged that they were proceeds of unlawful activities. ARA thus sought court orders to deny her access to the funds.
Njoroge, through her lawyers, however, argued that the aforementioned amount was set to be channelled towards her investment projects.
“The monies were for investing in land projects and safaris,” her lawyers told ARA, two days after the agency moved to freeze her accounts.
She, however, did not divulge if investing in safaris meant unveiling tourism companies and projects or leisure activities.
Her representatives, Ndindi & Nadida Advocates, further informed ARA that Njoroge had planned on travelling out of the country prior to the agency’s application in court. The clarification cleared confusion on allegations that she planned to flee the country after the money was detected.
"We would like to inform you that our client, Felista, is currently not in Kenya and in fact left the country on October 2.
“We do not have information on when our client will be coming back to Kenya," the firm responded.
Her boyfriend, Merc De Mesel was said to have made the first deposit of Ksh25,803,756 on August 4, 2021. A second deposit of a similar amount was made on August 5 with the third and fourth deposits following on August 6 but as separate transactions of Ksh25,242,756 and Ksh25,579,356.
Messel, a bitcoin billionaire, lamented that he followed the stipulated money transaction processes and also filed the requisite papers. He wondered why ARA targetted a gift he voluntarily and lovingly gave his girlfriend.
"As investors with every exchange and every bank, you need to do this constantly and there is a trace on where the money is coming from. It's from my investments and my brokerage.
“I knew there were more unlawful activities in Africa than Europe but without any notice, summon or question by police, suddenly being apprehended in my home, seizing my laptop, phone and passport, taken away handcuffed, as well as my pregnant girlfriend, I did not expect," he complained.
