DPP ordered to provide documents in Keroche Sh14.5b tax case

A Nairobi court yesterday directed the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to supply copies of documents in Sh14.5 billion tax evasion case against the director of Keroche Breweries Industry Ltd Tabitha Karanja.

The case has been pending at Milimani Chief magistrate’s court since August 23, 2020, when it was filed.

Tabitha who is the Nakuru senator has denied 10 counts levelled against her by the State.

In the case, her husband Joseph Karanja has been removed from the charges after the DPP withdrew charges against him due to his health condition.

The senator is out on Sh10 million bail or an alternative Sh5 million bond.

Their company had been ordered to deposit Sh15 million cash bail to the court pending the hearing and determination of the case.

According to the charge sheet, the accused person on diverse dates between February 20, 2015, and January 20, 2016, unlawfully made incorrect statements in their excise duty returns by reducing their duty 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.

It is also alleged that between February 20 and July 20 this year, they unlawfully omitted from their VAT returns for January to June affecting their VAT liability by Sh196 million.