Student at risk of losing Sh47m 'gift' from Belgian man

Belgian Marc De Mesel and his girlfriend Felista Njoroge. [File, Standard]

A 22-year-old university student who became an overnight millionaire through a gift from a suspected Belgian fraudster is at risk of losing the Sh47 million.

This follows a formal application by the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) to have the funds held by Timothy Waigwa Maina forfeited to the State for being proceeds of international crime and money laundering.

“He is suspected to be part of a syndicate involved in a complex money laundering scheme involving a Belgian Marc De Mesel in which he received a total of Sh47 million in a single day before he hurriedly transferred it to another account to conceal the source,” said ARA.

Maina is the latest individual and the only man in the chain of beneficiaries in which the agency claims the Belgium gifted more than Sh650 million to his three girlfriends and their relatives.

The Asset Recovery Agency has already filed separate suits against the four women, Felista Nyamathira Njoroge, Tebby Wambuku Kago, Jane Wambui Kago and Serah Wambui Kamanda seeking to recover their millions on account that they are proceeds of crime.

Maina, a third year construction and property management student at Kirinyaga University in his statement to ARA said he met De Mesel in 2019 when he escorted his cousin, Serah Wambui Kamanda to Aga Khan Hospital when the two were dating.

He stated that after his cousin got treatment, they went to a nearby restaurant to have lunch after which they were joined by De Mesel and she introduced him as her boyfriend.

According to Maina, they had a brief discussion about employment for which De Mesel agreed to employ him as a personal assistant with a monthly salary of Sh50,000.

He stated that in April 2021, De Mesel asked him if he wanted money to invest after which the Belgian gifted him Sh47 million through his account at Standard Chartered Bank.

In the latest suit filed through lawyer Stephen Githinji, the agency claimed that they have finished investigations and found that the funds are proceeds of crime which the student cannot be allowed to enjoy.

Githinji stated that the Belgian targets young college students aged between 19-26 as conduits of money laundered from other countries and whose destination is not known.

The court directed Maina to file his response within 15 days failure to which a judgement will be entered for the state to seize the funds.

The case will be heard on June 27.