Felista Njoroge, a student at Nairobi Technical Training Institute (NTTI), has moved to court to defend the Sh102 million gift from her Belgium boyfriend.
The 21-year-old was aggrieved by the Asset Recovery Agency’s decision to freeze her accounts.
In an affidavit to the High Court, Njoroge says the agency misled the court about her sources of funds, which according to her, she could have explained had they contacted her.
“The agency’s decision to seek the freezing orders was an infringement to her economic rights. It was actuated by malice since no explanation was sought regarding the sources of her funds,” Njoroge said through her lawyer, Thomas Maosa.
She has accused the agency of invading her privacy stating that she has the capacity to engage in business and develop relationships to make money.
“I am lawfully entitled to my funds held at my bank account since the agency obtained the sweeping orders freezing the account without asking me where I received the funds from,” she said.
Additionally, she maintained that she is not engaged in any financial misconduct or money laundering, and that she can explain how she acquired the Sh102.5 million.
Njoroge now wants the court to set aside an order stopping her from withdrawing the money from her account held at Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
The agency claimed that the money was suspiciously wired and alleged that they were proceeds of unlawful activities. ARA thus sought court orders to deny her access to the funds.
“The monies were for investing in land projects and safaris,” her lawyers told ARA, two days after the agency moved to freeze her accounts.
Njoroge, through her lawyers, however, argued that the aforementioned amount was set to be channelled towards her investment projects.
Her boyfriend, Merc De Mesel was said to have made the first deposit of Sh25,803,756 on August 4, 2021.
A second deposit of a similar amount was made on August 5 with the third and fourth deposits following on August 6 but as separate transactions of Sh25,242,756 and Sh25,579,356.
Messel, a bitcoin billionaire, lamented that he followed the stipulated money transaction processes and also filed the requisite papers.
