Court orders arrest of Keroche founderTabitha Karanja in Sh14bn tax evasion case
Senator Tabitha Karanja in the dock in this past photo in a Sh14.5 billion tax evasion case.
A court has ordered the arrest of Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja for failing to attend the hearing of Sh14 billion tax evasion case against Keroche Breweries.
Issuing the warrant, Milimani court Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu said the accused knew of the case was coming up for hearing but failed to show up.
“The accused person knew that the matter was listed for hearing and failed to show up. I hereby discharge the two witnesses in court today and proceed to issue a warrant of arrest against the accused person,” the magistrate ordered.
The court issued the arrest against order Ms Karanja; the founder of Keroche Breweries Limited following an application by State prosecutor Ann Munyua.
Ms Karanja was charged with failing to remit Sh14.5 billion tax arrears to the commissioner of exercise duty; the money arising from declared production volumes of manufactured beer.
The senator is out on bond after denying 10 counts of tax evasion levelled against her by the State.
The DPP has already withdrawn charges against the senator's husband, Joseph Karanja, due to his health condition.
According to the charge sheet, the accused on diverse dates between February 20, 2015, and January 20, 2016, unlawfully made incorrect statements on their excise duty returns by reducing it by Sh1.8 billion.
They also made incorrect statements for January 2017 to December 2017 which affected their payable excise duty by Sh3.6 billion.
According to the prosecution, between February 20 and July 20, 2019, they unlawfully omitted from their VAT returns for January to June, affecting their VAT liability by Sh196 million.
