A couple, Joseph Wanjohi and Jane Wambui, has been ordered to forfeit Ksh1 billion in cash and property in a court ruling.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Tuesday, February 25, KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto informed Kenyans.co.ke that the couple were ordered to part with the money and assets after being found guilty of trading in wildlife trophies and drug trafficking.
The judgment was reached by Justice Mumbi Ngugi who established that the couple's property were acquired from the proceeds of the illicit trade.
The properties set to be forfeited included land in Muthaiga North area, two high-end vehicles- a Range Rover Sport and a Mercedes Benz- and five properties.
According to a report from the Daily Nation in May 2019, the couple's woes come after a protracted court case that saw their assets frozen in 2018 following an application by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA).
This move was based on the suspicion that the amount of money in their bank accounts and the assets in their possession were proceeds of dealing in narcotic drugs and wildlife trophies.
The two, in their defense, argued that the business they participated in were legitimate as they were traders who dealt in the import and sale of t-shirts and shoes.
The court, however, disputed the notion and indicated that the money in their accounts was not in correlation with the businesses they claimed to be undertaking.
Justice Mumbi, while delivering her ruling, indicated that it was to serve as a deterrent to anyone else seen to be participating in such illicit trades.
“We know the damage crime of narcotic drugs has brought on families and devastation caused the trade in wildlife trophies.
“We can’t overemphasize on determent of such illegal trade. We must ensure they don’t enjoy the proceeds of such crimes,” she stated.
