Kenyan graft probe in limbo
2007-09-02 16:34
London - The British Foreign Office says Kenyan authorities have ignored British offers of assistance in an investigation into millions of dollars allegedly plundered from Kenya's state coffers.
Kenya's government spokesperson, Alfred Mutua, was quoted by the The Guardian newspaper as saying that Britain had refused to help Kenya retrieve from British bank accounts assets stolen during the presidency of Daniel arap Moi.
The Foreign Office said Mutua's claim was unfounded.
A spokesperson said: "The United Kingdom has offered assistance, but it has neither been acknowledged nor accepted.
"Kenyan authorities have not requested our assistance despite our offer, nor provided the information that we need to accompany any request."
Moi faces long-standing accusations that he embezzled huge amounts of money during his 24 years in power, and his successor, Mwai Kibaki, has since fumbled on promises to clean up the government.
Money locked away in British banks
New allegations that Moi and his associates funnelled money out of the country to buy property in London, New York and South Africa emerged in a report posted to the web site Wikileak, which exposes corruption.
Mutua said the posting was an attempt to damage Kibaki's political career, adding that some of the money was locked away in British bank accounts.
"We have asked the British government to help us recover the funds, but so far they have refused," The Guardian newspaper quoted Mutua as saying.
Kibaki, who was elected in 2002 on a wide-ranging anti-corruption platform, is the front-runner in Kenya's presidential election, scheduled for December. Moi has recently endorsed Kibaki's re-election bid.
- AP