Navy Malela and Gradi Koko say evidence they found undergirds US sanctions. Now they want recognition and protection.
By their own account, the auditors Navy Malela and Gradi Koko enjoyed a comfortable life in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their children went to good schools, and they earned more than enough to cover their expenses. “It was a good life,” Koko told NK News.
All of that changed when the two leaked thousands of internal bank documents that laid bare a wide range of financial crimes — including evidence linking their employer to North Korea-controlled entities operating in Africa.
Now, some three years later, the two whistleblowers say they have received death sentences in their home country for their actions and live a “life of constant worry” in exile in Europe, a pariah to their friends and family.
And even though their disclosures helped expose illicit DPRK activities in the DRC and undergird recent U.S. and EU sanctions targeting the North Korean companies, the former bankers say they have received no assistance from Washington or Brussels, raising questions about the ways in which international sanctions enforcement relies on whistleblowers who put themselves at risk.
“We’ve publicly stepped in to protect these sanctions,” Koko said. “But now, we are suffering while new sanctions have been put in place based on our information.”
Madela and Koko told NK News that they were working as internal auditors at the Cameroonian bank Afriland when they...
Entertainment of Wednesday, 6 May 2026 Source: www.ghanaweb.com Evangelist Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, and her husband, Angel Asiamah, have initiated legal action aga...