The accusations had claimed that Ndeti was apprehended after trying to transfer in the millions into the UK, sparking uproar as Kenyans accused her of possible money laundering.
Machakos Governor, Wavinya Ndeti on Monday, September 9 denied claims that she was detained in the United Kingdom (UK) after attempting to smuggle in Ksh679 million, promising legal action against those who spread the falsehoods in the first place.
In a statement she released in the wee hours of the morning, Ndeti stated that the claims were part of a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing her reputation as the county boss and discrediting her accomplishments in the county.
The accusations had claimed that Ndeti was apprehended after trying to transfer in the millions into the UK, sparking uproar as Kenyans accused her of possible money laundering.
Inside Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom. /THE GUARDIAN
“My attention has been drawn to an online smear campaign designed and sponsored, by my political detractors. This campaign is aimed at dampening the impact of the transformative work we are doing in Machakos,” she stated in part.
“It is demeaning and an insult to the intelligence of the people of Machakos and Kenya to imagine that I would smuggle hundreds of millions of shillings on my person to the United Kingdom and that I have been detained.”
Ndeti slammed those fabricating falsehoods about her, accusing them of being ignorant of the robust nature of UK Customs/Border Control and Financial Institutions.
“I can confirm that my family and I are safe and sound and remain in good standing both home and abroad,” she assured.
She affirmed that her administration would not be distracted as it seeks to better the livelihoods of the people of Machakos.
Ndeti revealed that, in particular, her county government is closing in on nearly 1000 projects from August 2022 and in FY 2023/2024, it collected Ksh1.7 billion in terms of Own Source Revenue which she says “is the highest ever collected in Machakos since the inception of Devolution.”
The county boss vowed to identify, pursue, and bring before the law all those peddling baseless rumours and fake news, adding that the claims amount to defamation and misuse of electronic media to spread falsehoods.Â
“Such malicious misinformation has created perceptions about me and my family members that endanger our lives. Let the authors of this narrative be warned that should anything happen to any member of my family or myself, you shall be held personally responsible,” she promised.
Adding “Lastly, I encourage those spewing these fabrications to arm themselves with hard evidence when the law comes knocking.”
According to BDO UK, which provides tax, audit and assurance, advisory and business outsourcing services to companies across all sectors of the economy, there is no financial amount which triggers Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) in the UK.
A SAR should be submitted if a party has suspicion or knowledge of money laundering or terrorist financing, regardless of the amount or currency of a transaction.
