More than Sh4 billion stolen from a kitty that was to be used to feed children in the United States has been traced to Kenya where it was presumably spent on luxurious things and prime pieces of land.
The US Department of Justice yesterday revealed that investigations on the 47 people who conspired to steal over 250 million dollars (Sh30 billion) from the child nutrition program in the State of Minnesota during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 are ongoing.
The program was administered by the State Department of Education which obtained the services of various authorized firms working under strict rules allowing more organisations to participate in food distribution to needy children.
Some of the accused allegedly spent it to purchase luxurious vehicles and prime properties along the coastal beach region.
Aimee Bock, the main accused, is the founder of the Feeding Our Future, which was involved in the food distribution programme in Minnesota.
The Justice Department investigators said the organisation connived to create fake companies which were used to fraud millions of dollars as it disguised itself to feed hungry children in the state.
“Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than 40 million dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, travel, real estate, and property in Kenya,” the department said.
Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, one of the suspects used 40 million dollars (Sh4 billion) to buy a number of properties in Kenya.
Other suspects are Mohammed Jama Ismail, Mahad Ibrahim, Abdimajid Mohammed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur.
