2006年VOA标准英语-Prominent Kenyans Banned From Entering US

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
24 May 2006

Mwai Kibaki (file photo)  
  
The United States has banned a former aide to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and three prominent Kenyan businessmen from entering the United States under U.S. anti-corruption¹ legislation. 

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Former presidential aide Alfred Getonga, who had been dismissed three months earlier, and tycoons² Jimmy Wanjigi, Deepak Kamani and Anura Perera have been denied visas to enter the United States because of their alleged³ links to the so-called "Anglo Leasing" deal, which may have cost the Kenyan economy more than $200 million.

A public relations counselor⁴ with the U.S. embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi, Bob Kerr, tells VOA that Presidential Proclamation 7750 recognizes that corruption has a negative influence on public institutions and U.S. dealings with countries overseas.

"We believe in honest business transactions and honest government to the extent that [if] people come forward to receive visas to go to the United States, especially if it is in situations where they are able to fund their travel because of illicit⁵ gains, we feel that that is a practice worthy⁶ of discouraging," said Kerr.

The United States imposed the ban on visas for the four earlier this month in accordance with the legislation, which cancels or denies visas to anyone engaging in, associated with, or benefiting from, corruption.

The Anglo Leasing affair involved the government awarding lucrative⁷ contracts to fictitious⁸ companies to print high-tech⁹ passports and build police forensic¹⁰ laboratories.

Through investigations¹¹, all four were accused of being involved in the scheme to one degree or other.

Getonga was dismissed as President Kibaki's aide in February after the government's Public Accounts Committee named him of having links to the Anglo Leasing deal.

The four were unavailable for comment. Media reports indicate they deny wrongdoing.

The executive director of Transparency International - Kenya, Mwalimu Mati, tells VOA the visa ban sends out a strong message to those involved with corruption in Kenya.

"The world is becoming a smaller place for people who have problems related to corruption," said Mati. "One of the things that we have been calling for is for international cooperation, so to that extent I think it is a laudable move. These kind of measures do make it easier for countries to deal with grand corruption by making it have personal consequences for individuals who are involved in it."

Many Kenyans are angry with the government, which was elected at the end of 2002 on a strong anti-corruption platform.

Last year, Britain and the United States denied former transport minister Chris Murungaru visas to their countries also for being linked to the Anglo Leasing scandal.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 tycoons   

大君( tycoon的名词复数 )； 将军； 企业巨头； 大亨

参考例句：

• The great tycoons were fierce competitors, single-minded in their pursuit of financial success and power. 企业巨头都是激烈的竞争者，他们一心追求钱财和权势。
• Tycoons and their conglomerates are even raising money again on international markets. 企业大亨们以及他们的企业甚至正再次从国际市场上筹集资金。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

5 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

6 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 fictitious   

adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的

参考例句：

• She invented a fictitious boyfriend to put him off.她虚构出一个男朋友来拒绝他。
• The story my mother told me when I was young is fictitious.小时候妈妈对我讲的那个故事是虚构的。

9 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

10 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。