A prominent Kenyan lawyer, Chacha Mwita, was detained by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) following allegations that he helped fund terrorism using cryptocurrency. Prosecutors say Mwita received money from Binance accounts tied to terrorist groups and used multiple phone numbers to facilitate transactions.
Mwita was arrested over the weekend in Mombasa and later transported to Nairobi for further questioning. The ATPU has requested that a court detain him for 20 days, arguing that they need time to finish gathering and analyzing digital evidence linked to the alleged crypto network.
According to the authorities, investigations have traced money flows from Binance wallet addresses to Mwita, which they believe channeled funds to a recruitment network along Kenya’s coast. Prosecutors argue Mwita played an active role in helping young people join terrorist organizations, using crypto to obscure the movement of funds.
Mwita’s legal team , led by Advocates Lempaa Soyinka and Ayota Magati , strongly denies the allegations. They argue that defending clients accused of terrorism does not equate to criminal facilitation, calling the charges an attempt to intimidate lawyers from taking on sensitive cases.
The case has drawn national attention not only because of the gravity of the allegations but also due to Mwita’s profile. He is known for defending terror suspects in previous high-profile cases, and his arrest has sparked debate over the intersection of legal advocacy, human rights, and counter-terrorism.
If the court approves the ATPU’s detention request, Mwita will remain in custody while investigators continue to piece together the crypto-financing network. The outcome may set a precedent for how Kenya regulates and prosecutes the use of digital assets in national security cases.
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