US to Seize Assets of 7 Wealthy Kenyans over Terror Links

The United States is set to seize assets belonging to a number of wealthy Kenyans who are accused of financing terrorist organizations.

This comes after President Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on individuals over allegations of supporting terrorist groups.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released a list of sanctioned individuals among them seven Kenyan nationals.

Kenyans named in the list include Garissa-based Sheikh Hassaan Hussein Adam (Hussein), Sheikh Hassaan (Omar), Mr. Hassan Mahad (Omar) and Mr. Hassan Mahat, Business Daily reported.

Others are Egyptian-born Kenyans Al Masri, Abd Al Wakil (Ali), and Moustafa Ali Elbishy.

The US will seize assets of persons in the sanction list and bar American nationals from transacting any business in them.
In April, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Kenya-based Halima Adan Ali over claims of being part of a network that wired over $150,000 through the Hawala system to Islamic State (Isis) fighters in Syria, Libya, and Central Africa.

Last year, the US also imposed sanctions against another Kenyan Mr. Waleed Ahmed Zein, who is accused of running a global financial network in support of Isis.

The US Treasury Department described Waleed as “a dangerous terrorist who established an intricate global network of financial facilitators for Isis, using intermediaries to evade police and fund their deadly ambitions.”