China to help Kenya recover stolen assets
China has pledged to help Kenya recover and repatriate stolen assets as part of the fight against high level corruption.
|||Nairobi - China has pledged to help Kenya recover and repatriate stolen assets as part of the fight against high level corruption.
Wang Lingjun, vice-minister of the Chinese Ministry of Supervision, said that the country would support the Kenyan government in the areas of asset recovery and repatriation of illicit proceeds.
He said that China would share its experience in anti-corruption and provide an opportunity for Kenya to understand the various challenges involved in fighting corruption.
Lingjun led a high powered delegation of senior Chinese government officials in a courtesy call on the Attorney General Professor Githu Muigai at his offices in Nairobi.
Muigai said that Kenya could not afford to allow illegitimate forces outside the State to control Kenya.
In 2003 the Kenyan government, under the Presidency of Mwai Kibaki, located US$1 billion in looted tax payers money hidden overseas. The money was believed to have been stolen during the administration of the former President Daniel arap Moi.
As the Kibaki administration discovered, locating the money was easier than bringing it back home even with expert services from New York's Kroll Incorporated, who were contracted to help Kenya track and recover the stolen funds.
At the time Andre Pienaar, who oversaw the African office of Kroll, told New York Times that it was a tough task to get the money back. Some of the challenges cited by the government included costly search efforts, corrupt officials fighting back and tough international banking laws.
Kroll said that the thieves used some of the most respected banks in Europe to hide their loot and also invested in prime property such as hotels, and luxury homes and cars in Europe.
Kenya was the first country to sign the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on December 9 2003. The Convention came into force in December 2005 and is rated as the most comprehensive, legally binding global anti corruption instrument negotiated by members of the United Nations.
African News Agency