Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, has ordered the arrest of city billionaire, Humphrey Kariuki Ndegwa, together with eight other individuals over tax evasion.
The arrests were ordered on Thursday after Haji declared he had enough evidence to charge the persons.
In a statement to our newsroom, Haji also listed the offences that all the suspects were bound to be charged with.
“Therefore applying the provisions of the national prosecution policy and having independently reviewed the file, I’m satisfied that there is enough evidence and it is in the interest of the public to charge the following suspects,” Haji wrote in the statement.
Other to be charged together with Kariuki are Stuart Gerald Herd, Perter Njenga Kuria, Robert Thinji Muriithi Geoffrey Kaaria Kinoti Mbombua.
Also on the list were Sethu Prabhu, Eric Mulwa Nzomba, Simon and Kepha Githu Gakure.
All the suspects are set to be charged with being in possession of uncustomed goods, conspiracy to contravene section 193, being in possession of counterfeit excise stamps contrary to section 40 and aiding the commission of a tax offence.
The investigations of this case began on January 30, 2019, when DCI got information about a trailer that was suspected of transporting uncustomed goods
The officers tracked the lorry and found it parked at the compound of Africa spirits Limited/ WOW beverages Limited.
Thereafter they found 80 drums of unaccustomed ethanol each around 250 litres.
KRA investigations showed that WOW beverages had evaded taxes amounting to Ksh41,539,038,448 between 2014 and 2019.
