NAIROBI (Halbeeg News)-Diamond Trust Bank, an Indian Bank based in East Africa has facilitated millions of Kenyan shilling to finance the Dusit terror attack in January.
The attack claimed by al-Shabaab had robbed lives of 21 people including young Somali men.
In a meeting with National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Nordin Haji said the money was sent to al-Shabaab headquarters in Jilib town of Middle Jubba region.
“This money was going to Jilib, the headquarters of al-Shabaab. We are not penalizing this bank but protecting it by charging the manager. Certain issues cannot be said here,” he told the National Assembly’s Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.
He said the lender failed to report suspicious transactions in its Eastleigh branch, monies that may have been used to finance terrorist activities in Somalia and Syria.
The DPP has since charged Sophia Njoki Mbogo, who was DTB’s Eastleigh branch manager with aiding and abetting Dusit D2 hotel complex terror attack.
He stated that the bank management tried to influence his office not press charges in connection with financing the January 15 attack.
According to the DPP, DTB is notorious for aiding crimes. He further stated that the bank failed to provide CCTV footage of withdrawals.
Branch manager Sophia Mbogo on Wednesday was charged with aiding and abetting the Dusit attack. She was accused of failing to report transactions involving Sh34,736,550 suspected to have funded the attack.
Mbgo is facing an additional charge of knowingly failing to report suspicion regarding proceeds of crime in which the cash was received and withdrawn at the bank.
The transactions were carried out from December 4 last year to January 5. She denied the charges before chief magistrate Francis Andayi.
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