A close relative to King Charles of the UK risks 30 years in jail if found to have flouted United States laws by hosting a sanctioned Russian billionaire at a ranch in Kenya.
In February 2021, the King's kin was accused of flying the Russian national, Oleg Deripaska, to one of the exclusive Safaris in Laikipia County.
The New York-based British socialite, whose father is the King’s third cousin, reportedly hosted the tycoon via her Manhattan-based charity company, which goes against US laws on sanctioned individuals. Manhattan is one of the most densely populated of New York City’s 5 boroughs and is sometimes referred to as the global capital of commerce.
According to US laws, the Treasury Department bans US Citizens or entities from taking part in financial transactions and other dealings with sanctioned individuals.
“Those who do can be jailed for up to 30 years. The same punishment applies to a sanctioned person who interacts with US individuals,” the law states.
According to the US Department of Justice, Deripaska, a billionaire closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was subjected to economic sanctions on April 6, 2018. The tycoon was accused of acting on behalf of Russia's government in threats issued to Ukraine and further endangering the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
In Kenya, the company that hosted him did not deny the visit but vehemently rejected that it deliberately flouted US laws.
“We are not in a position to confirm or dent that the company has or has not breached US sanctions in relation to the 2021 safari. What we can say is that neither the company nor myself ever knowingly nor deliberately breached sanctions,” a representative of the company, which lists the King's relative as a member of its US branch, stated.
Reports indicated that Deripaska, who is described as a close friend of President Vladimir Putin, flew directly to Nairobi using a private jet.
After landing in Nairobi, the oligarch was quickly whisked to Laikipia County using a privately chartered helicopter, accompanied by his bodyguard, a butler and an executive from one of the largest aluminium industries in Russia.
During his three-day stay in Laikipia, he viewed lions, cheetahs and elephants and enjoyed amenities in the exclusive ranch.
The ranch can only be accessed through invite-only and charges an average of Ksh670,000 per day.
The ranch and the private chopper the Russian tycoon used are foreign-owned. It is yet to be confirmed if Kenya may have broken any law in hosting the sanctioned Russian billionaire.
