Nairobi court clears Sudanese minister of money laundering charges

Anti-corruption Court has cleared South Sudan Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro over graft charges.

Similarly, the Minister can now use funds held at Co-operative Bank after the court overturned an earlier order freezing his account, which contained about Ksh13 million.

In July, he filed an application to have the order issued by Kenya’s Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) on allegations of money laundering overturned.

The court concluded that the applicant (ARA) was satisfied with the respondents’ explanation of the source of funds, and that the order freezing the bank account was withdrawn, and that the Minister was free to operate the account at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya.

The Minister, who has served in President Salva Kiir’s cabinet since 2005, was delighted to learn that the court had cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“I very much thank the Kenya High Court for its absolute integrity and for upholding high standards of the rule law, justice and equality for all regardless of nationality before the law in Kenya.

“Equally, I appreciate the ARA for acknowledging the authenticity of the sources of my funds and advise that in the future ARA should conform to the country’s legal procedures and diplomatic protocols so as not to victimize people in support of negative policy of external powers with negative political intentions in the region; South Sudan in this case,” Hon. Lomuro stated after receiving news of the judgement.

Before being appointed as Minister of Cabinet Affairs in July 2013, Lomuro worked in three separate ministries in the Republic of South Sudan, and he is the longest serving cabinet minister on the docket.