Gideon Moi and the Looting of Kenya

Following is an exert from The Kroll Report.

Click Here for a condensed version

["GIDEON MOI

Modus Operandi

In November 2003, Gideon travelled from Kenya through a circuitous route that took him to South Africa, Namibia, the United Kingdom and eventually Luxembourg[1].

Gideon spent a night in Namibia. Ex-President Moi enjoys a private and very cordi relationship with President Nujoma. During his visit, Gideon was meant to meet Nujon privately under intervention of his father. It is not known whether the meeting actually to place.

Ex-President Moi has invested heavily in Namibia and Nujoma personally protects investments. It is understood that Gideon is not comfortable with South Africa and all his actions are aimed at transferring his assets from there. There are indications that such a transfer is most likely to be Namibia.

Gideon has been known to frequently visit the Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac in the past travelling via Miami, USA.

Business Links

Gideon's business links are detailed below. The table illustrates ownership of businesses where:

1. Gideon's ownership has been alleged by sources

2. Gideon's ownership has been refuted by sources

3. Client material indicates Gideon's ownership

4. Client material indicates a business previously owned by Gideon

NAME OF COMPANY	OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE
Ownership of the following Gideon’s interests has been alleged by Msamaha:
Kent Ship Maritime
Sielei Properties Ltd
Giant Holdings Ltd
Revak Ltd
Sudbury Ltd
Sudbury Investments
Giant Forex Bureau
Westfield International Ltd
Chesco Ltd
Hampstead Enterprises
Metipso Services Ltd
Maternity Shop
Eagle Airlines
Chemusian Company
Fresh Produce Ltd
Siginon Freight
Cartrack Kenya Ltd
First American Bank	Owned by Gideon, James Kanyotu & Naushad Merali, Biwott
Equatorial Bank	Owned by Gideon, Kanyotu & Merali
The Sasine Group of Farms	Owned by Gideon, Kanyotu & Merali
Cable & Wireless	Owned by Gideon, Kanyotu & Merali
The Duty Free Company	Owned by Gideon, Kanyotu & Merali
Everready Comapany (H. Young)[2]	Owned by Gideon, Kanyotu & Merali
Tobacco Farm in Malawi	Gideon 100%
Chester House	Gideon 100%
Safaricom Kenya	Biwott, Charles Field Marsham and Gideon 40%, the Post Office 60%.
Msamaha alleges that the follwing companies are owned bybthose detailed and NOT Gideon:
Sian Roses	Kulei 40%, Moi 60%
Mugoya Construction
Equity Stockbrokers
First Force Security Services
Regent Management
Client material indicates the following ownership:
Giro Bank	Held under Asian nominee businessman
Taurino Enterprises	Gideon and Cyrus Jirongo
Client material indicates the following previously owned:
Safariland Club	Was owned by Gideon, Mukesh Gohil and Pattni. Since taken over by Merinda Investments
Gideon’s possible interest?
Trans-National Bank	Gideon’s interest unknown

Properties

United Kingdom

It has been reported that Gideon has two properties in London held under a trust set up by Mukesh Gohil[3]. The name of the trust and the addresses of the properties are not known.

It has been reported that Gohil is the keeper of Gideon's funds in the UK.

South Africa

It has been reported that Gideon owns a number of properties in South Africa. His front man, Harbinder Singh Sethi, has 74 properties listed under 'closed corporations', ail of which ale registered in his name.

It has been reported that during_October_2003, Dr Kiplagat organised the sale of a Durban-based residential property belonging to Gideon for an amount of US$650 000.

Finance

United Kingdom

Mukesh revealed that by the year 2002, Gideon's cash in various banks overseas amounted to £550 million[4]. Mukesh indicated that this amount is for the deals in which Gideon has involved him. Mukesh further indicated that all Gideon's cash left the country through Citibank. Mukesh maintains that Gideon has colossal amounts of money in London although he has not revealed the identity of the banks.

Grand Cayman

It has been alleged that according to one of Gideon's aides, Ken Boit, during one of their visits to the Grand Cayman, he learnt from the former about a law in that jurisdiction known as " confidential relationships preservation law", similar to codes in Switzerland which made it a criminal act for anyone to reveal information about someone's banking or financial associations[5]. During their visit, Gideon would leave, alone, to attend to his business for hours, usually assisted by an intermediary who resides in Georgetown, the capital of Grand Cayman.

Luxembourg

Kulei used banks in Luxembourg for ex-President Moi’s confidential banking[6]. During ex-President Moi’s last term in office, he visited Luxembourg with Gideon in the company of only one state house aide, who was Chief of Protocol at the time. The purpose of this trip was to introduce Gideon to his bankers. The aide believes that ex-President Moi actually transferred all dealings in his accounts to Gideon during this visit. What is not clear is whether Gideon was able to move these accounts elsewhere or shield their direct connection to them. During this trip to Luxembourg, four banks were visited by both ex-President Moi and Gideon, who would be picked from their hotel by a "simple" car which appeared to have been arranged for in advance. They would leave the aide waiting in some room while meetings were held behind closed doors in yet another room. The aide only recalls their visit to CitiCorp (probably CitiBank) and Union Bancaire Privêe. He does not remember the other two banks visited.

Dubai

Allen & Overy

A law firm in Dubai named Allen & Overy holds all of Gideon's accounts[7]. Allen & Overy is a highly reputable international law firm with operations in 25 major cities worldwide.

The chairman of the law firm who runs all of Gideon's businesses is called Saimon Roadrodearek, a Greek national who is a lawyer by profession.

The address is PO Box 3251, 1603 API World Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The contact telephone numbers are: + 971 50 6524166 and + 971 4 3323190.

South Africa

It has been reported that Gideon has accounts held in South Africa and possibly Malawi[8]. Gideon's front man who operates from South Africa is Harbinder Singh Sethi.

Kenya

Within the local scene, the following are the main banks that have been used extensively by Gideon for all kinds of transactions over the years[9].

Eurobank

Eurobank is currently under liquidation. It is alleged that Gideon has used Eurobank for payoffs related to parastatal deposits, from both NHIF and NSSF. He has also used it for small land transactions, mainly to channel through his share of the proceeds once allocated, land has been sold to a parastatal[10]. Usually, a company is floated for each and every, transaction with nominees representing his interest.

Giro Bank

It is alleged that Gideon under a front of Asian nominees owns Giro Bank[11]. Most of the cheques to Commissioner of Lands for land allocated to his companies were obtained from Giro Bank. A good example was 158 acres of military land in Embakasi allocated to a company named Torino Enterprises Ltd controlled by him and Cyrus Jirongo.

Trust Bank

Trust Bank is under liquidation. It is alleged that Gideon was heavily involved with Ajay Shah the key person behind this bank. Some of the most outrageous deals involving the duo are believed to have led to the collapse of this bank. However, when information started leaking out about his involvement, the governor of Central Bank was prevailed upon to close it promptly, thus making it easy for them to recover and destroy all compromising information[12].

Ketan Somata fnanced Trust Bank[13]. Separately, Ajay Shah controlled a finance company in which Ajay and Ketan became partners. Ajay was Ketan's operator. While Ketan did the dealing with the politicians, Ajay handled the money. At some point, Ajay and Ketan split up. Ajay took over Trust Bank and Ketan bought Delphis Bank (former BCCI).

Citibank

It is alleged that Citibank has been the prime exit point for Gideon's cash to his off-shore accounts. Money generated from his numerous deals would be converted and transferred to overseas. During the last five years of Moi's rule, Gideon would often boast that any deal below a million US dollars is not worth his while[14].

ABN-AMRO

It is alleged that Gideon used ABN-AMRO in a similar fashion to Citibank, to move illegally obtained cash emanating from corrupt deals to safe havens in off shore destinations. The funds were easily accessed through their wide branch network and correspondent banks in all key destinations[15].

Fjrst American Bank

Client material suggests that Naushad Merali and ex-President Moi control First American Bank in the background. The bank purchased the local operations of ABN -AMRO. In one masterstroke, tracing the trail of Gideon's money prior to_, the acquisition of ABN-AMRO may at best prove to be futile if not strenuous.

SAMUT Trust

All of Gideon’s monies invested in Kenya are held by a trust named SAMUT[16]. Registered in Kenya, SAMUT is the only trust to which Kulei transferred monies and shares held by him on behalf of the Moi family during 2001 and 2002. Msamaha indicated that around 80 percent of all of Kulei's holdings for the Moi family have now gone into SAMUT. Kulei still holds the remaining 20 percent, mostly the flower business and Trans-National Bank.

Business Associates

Mukesh Gohil

It has been alleged that sometime between December 2003 and January 2004, Mukesh Gohil had dinner at an Asian restaurant in Ukay Centre in the company of a relative of Krishan Behal and another individual who over the years has been dealing in properties on their behalf.

Mukesh boasted that without him Gideon is a lost man and as such is not able to keep track of his own money. Mukesh revealed that Gideon has been known to call him in Dubai to ask trivial questions about money already in his accounts.

Without divulging the specific reason for Gideon's need for him, Mukesh revealed that Gideon needs to have him around. Gideon has fallen out with several of his very close aides, many of whom were instrumental in his deals and most surprising, all are Kalenjins. Examples are Ken Boit, Donald Kipkorir, Ken Kiplagat, Sirma and Kogo. Gideon feels betrayed that his own people are deserting him while those of Asian origin are standing by his side.

A source claims that Gideon may be assessing the extent of damage that could be occasioned by the above individuals if he fails to honour their demands. Each individual is demanding serious amounts of money from Gideon for services rendered or a share of the deal money brokered by them.

It is very possible that Gideon needs Mukesh to help piece together the level of involvement and damage thereof.

Habinder Singh Sethi

It is believed that Sethi holds many of Gideon's assets in Southern Africa under his name Sethi[17]. Together they own a ranch.

Prior to elections, ex-President Moi and Gideon flew to Eritrea and then on to Malawi where they met with Habinder Singh Sethi. It is understood that Sethi flew the Moi's to South Africa carrying cases of dollars. The amount contained in the cases has not been disclosed.

Joshua Orwa Ojode

The current. Assistant Minister of Lands and Settlement, Joshua Orwa Ojode, is very close to Gideon[18]_,. Ojode is working alongside Gideon to undermine the current government.

Jared Kamgwana

Jared Kamgwana holds the office building Chester House in Nairobi in which Gideon Moi holds a 50 percent interest[19].

Dr Kiplagat

According to sources, Dr Kiplagat has shown a clear indication of his intentions to make revelations surrounding Gideon Moi.

Source enquiries indicate that the widely reported December 2003 altercation between Gideon and Kiplagat is over a financial rather than politically related matter as alleged[20] and, it appears to have been instigated by the sale of the Durban-based residential property.

It has been reported that after selling a property in Durban worth US$650 000 Gideon made arrangements for the proceeds to be remitted through the account of Kiplagat's law firm. This was done through a branch of Stanbic Bank in Durban. When Kiplagat received this money, he prepared a fee note of US$1.5 million for services rendered to Gideon on various matters and instead of remitting the US$650 000 to Gideon, he gave him a credit note for the same amount against the fee note.

Kiplagat then demanded the payment of the balance, which, it is believed, incensed Gideon to the extreme. Since the meeting of December 2003 held at Kabarak, Gideon has been trying to meet Kiplagat to no avail. In the meantime, Gideon has been sending Chepkonga to pressure Kiplagat to pay him.

As such, when Chepkonga found Kiplagat's vehicle at Fairview Hotel, he called Gideon. When the argument ensued with Gideon making threats, it is understood that Kiplagat cited "your father is no longer the President of this country and the days you used to order people around are long gone". He then ordered Gideon to move to another table causing the fight to break out.

Donald Kipkorir

Similarly, Dr Kipkorir has shown a clear indication of his intentions to make revelations surrounding Gideon.

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[1] Laundryman

[2] Everready Company in Nakuru operates under the name of H. Young belonging to Schwartman.

[3] Msamaha

[4] Laundryman

[5] Laundryman

[6] Laundryman

[7] Msamaha

[8] Msamaha

[9] Laundryman

[10] Laundryman

[11] Laundryman

[12] Laundryman

[13] Source A

[14] Laundryman

[15] Laundryman

[16] Msamaha

[17] Msamaha

[18] Msamaha

[19] Msamaha

[20] Launryman"]