Kenya Airways CEO has been directed to hand over Sh100 million seized from a Nigerian national to the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA).
The money was seized from Mauzu Bala last week on Friday at the JKIA after he failed to disclose he was in possession of the currency.
In his ruling, Justice James Wakiaga directed the funds to be handed over to the Assets Recovery Authority pending the matter's conclusion.
The court further allowed the agency to apply for the funds to be forfeited to the State if found to be proceeds of crime.
"That an order is and is hereby issued directing the interested party [chief executive officer, Kenya Airways] to surrender the seized funds to the Assets Recovery Agency," the judge said.
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Bala had 880,000 US dollars, 60,000 euros and 63,000 Nigerian naira.
According to ARA, his failure to disclose that he was carrying such a massive amount of money and produce documents supporting the legitimacy of the cash raised suspicion of money laundering.
Since then, Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka has been holding the cash when the Nigerian has arrested the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) en route to Dubai.
The Nigerian had disembarked from flight KQ535 from Lagos, Nigeria, and was intercepted while waiting to board flight KQ310 to Dubai.
According to Mr. Bala, he was allegedly heading to Dubai for business.
"That there is an imminent risk that the funds sought to be preserved shall dissipate by being taken away from the jurisdiction of this court before investigations into the legitimacy of the funds are established as the respondent is a foreigner who was in transit to Dubai," the ARA said in the application.
He moved to court seeking the release of the money.
