Taaj warns of legal action against Kenyan newspaper over ‘fake receipt’

Taaj money transfer company has warned of legal action against a Kenyan newspaper which published a receipt alleging it was issued by the company in a transaction allegedly involving Somalia’s intelligence agency and Al-Shabaab.

Somali government has since dismissed the allegations as ‘false and misleading’. Taaj said a statement Monday the alleged receipt was ‘forged and fake’ adding it will take legal action against the ‘anyone involved in the publication of the story’.

“Taaj is informing the public that it did not in any way issue such a receipt. We have established it to be fake,” the company said.

Kenya’s The Star newspaper published the receipt Thursday alleging it was issued by Taaj indicating the amount transferred was $1.5 million. Another publication in Kenya, The Standard also alleged a NISA official transferred the said amount to an Al-Shabaab operative but it did not publish the receipt.

“Taaj calls on The Star to delete the story and will sue anyone involved in the publication of the article,” Taaj said. The articles were republished by some news websites in Somalia and other parts of the world.

The Ministry of Information said the allegations were ‘disparaging, misleading and fake’.