A Kenyan court has made a ruling permitting the government to confiscate a cash gift of approximately $738,000 (£599,000) that was sent to a 23-year-old student, Felista Nyamathira Njoroge, by her boyfriend from Belgium.
The money was sent to Ms. Njoroge in 2021 by Marc De Mesel, a Belgian YouTube enthusiast passionate about cryptocurrencies.
However, the substantial amount raised suspicion among Kenyan authorities and the country's Asset Recovery Agency.
In December 2021, the agency ordered the freezing of the funds and stated that they would only be released if the source of the money could be explained.
Although Ms. Njoroge claims that the money was acquired legitimately “through business and personal relationships,” the judge ruled in court that the source of the money had not been adequately explained.
Esther Maina, the presiding judge, expressed the likelihood that both Ms. Njoroge and Mr. De Mesel were involved in a money-laundering scheme.
Consequently, the money will now be handed over to the state.
Mr. De Mesel had also faced scrutiny for transferring substantial amounts of money to several other women in Kenya.
