Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, has disclosed that the U.S. government recently intervened to prevent local law enforcement from arresting and detaining executives of Worldcoin. According to a report published in The Nation, the U.S. authorities insisted that the departing Worldcoin executives had not committed any wrongdoing that warranted their arrest. Instead, they pledged to make the executives available when required for any legal proceedings.

As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Kenyan authorities have taken a firm stance against the cryptocurrency project. In an effort to address concerns from the Kenyan government, Worldcoin representatives, led by Alex Blania, recently appeared before a parliamentary committee tasked with investigating the project’s activities.

Confirming the thwarted attempt to indefinitely detain Blania and his fellow Worldcoin executives, Minister Kindiki stated:

“They [Worldcoin executives] attempted to leave the country but were stopped and temporarily held in custody. However, the U.S. government intervened, asserting that they should be allowed to depart because they have not been found guilty of any crime. The U.S. government also gave assurances that they would produce them when required.”

The report also identified Thomas Scott, the legal spokesperson for Tools for Humanity, as the other Worldcoin representative who was detained alongside Blania.

The Kenyan government’s effort to apprehend the duo came shortly after Minister Kindiki attempted to link cryptocurrency-related activities to money laundering and terrorist financing. During his appearance before the parliamentary investigating committee, Kindiki reportedly used the Worldcoin incident to bolster his government’s position on cryptocurrencies in general.