A Mandera County Government employee suspected to have obtained millions through proceeds of crime has been allowed to withdraw Sh 3 million from his bank account which is currently frozen.
High Court Anti-Corruption Judge John Onyiego allowed Abdi Mohammed Ali to withdraw the 3 million from his Equity Bank account.
The judge allowed Ali to withdraw the money citing humanitarian grounds and taking into account that a huge part of Ali’s salary is in the frozen bank account.
“I will make a provision for him to withdraw Sh 3,000,000 million only from an account held at Equity Bank Mandera in the name of Abdi Mohammed Ali,” the judge ruled.
The judge noted that this will enable Ali to meet some immediate expenses like payment of school fees arrears and other medical expenses.
Ali had filed an application under certificate of urgency before the Anti-Corruption court in Nairobi seeking to be allowed to withdraw the funds.
Ali urged the court to give him partial and reasonable access to the account and frozen funds pending hearing and determination of the application.
The Asset Recovery Agency suspects the money to be proceeds of crime having been siphoned from the Madera County government.
High Court had issued orders freezing over Sh 62 million being held in two bank accounts, one belonging to Ali and the other to him and his wife.
In a ruling, the court ordered that the Sh 40,806,532 million being held in Ali’s account, and Sh 21,448,100 in another jointly held with his wife Saadia Sheikh Osma, be preserved for 60 days.
The two were prohibited from withdrawing, transferring or dealing with the money either by themselves or through their servants, agents or representatives.
