Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, minister of cabinet affairs | Credit | Courtesy

A court in Nairobi has lifted a freeze order imposed on Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro’s accounts at the Cooperative Bank of Kenya.

Dr. Martin – the minister of cabinet affairs – was recently accused by the Kenyan Asset Recovery Agency of money laundering.

In June this year, the agency froze Dr Lomuro’s two bank accounts, containing more than 13 million Kenyan Shillings – an amount equivalent to $124,000, one of which transacted in US dollars.

According to the agency, his accounts had several suspicious transactions and a transfer of half a million US dollars between them that prompted the move to freeze them.

Anti-corruption court judge Cecilia Githua lifted the freeze order and directed that Lomuro is at liberty to operate his bank account at the Cooperative Bank of Kenya.

The freeze order arose out of an application by the Assets Recovery Agency, which claimed it suspected the minister was involved in money laundering.

ARA had moved to court to have the account frozen on suspicion of money laundering schemes across multiple jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom.

It also said the money in question was not proceeds of crime but legitimate remittances from his bank accounts in Juba.

Part of the money constitutes what he gets as salary, allowances and emoluments as a minister and a Member of Parliament.

“The applicant (Assets Recovery Agency) is satisfied with the explanation provided by the respondent on the source of the funds. The application dated June 2, 2021, and July 6, 2021, is compromised and the orders dated June 4, 2021, are rescinded. The respondent is at liberty to operate the account,” ruled Justice Githua.

The court further rescinded the order of June 4, 2021 that was obtained to freeze the bank accounts of Lomuro and granted him liberty to operate his account at Cooperative Bank of Kenya.

In December 2019, the United States sanctioned Dr. Martin Elia for what it described as “expanding or extending the conflict in South Sudan including by obstructing the reconciliation process or peace talks.”

Dr. Lomuro was sanctioned together with the then defense minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Dr Lomuro and Kuol were responsible for obstructing reconciliation efforts in South Sudan.

The two were first black-listed by America in 2017 and were to be considered for sanctions by the UN Security Council.