Joho family threatens to sue KRA boss

A family firm wants Kenya Revenue Authority boss John Njaraini  prosecuted for ignoring court orders.

A lawyer acting for the two container  freight stations (CFS) owned by Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho’s family accused KRA Commissioner General  Njiraini of flouting a High Court order issued on Monday which allowed the freight stations to resume operations.

KRA had on January 29 ordered the cancellation the licences of the two stations but the court overturned these orders

Yesterday, lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi wrote to Mr Njiraini threatening to sue him for disobeying High Court orders of February 1  that stopped KRA from closing operations at the Autoports Freight Limited and Portside Freight Terminal Limited.

The lawyer demanded that the Joho family businesses be opened within 24 hours or he would file a contempt suit against the KRA commissioner general.

“We further put you Njaraini, on notice that if you fail to comply with said order as ordered by the honourable court and as we demand herein, we shall file a constitutional reference petitioning the High Court of Kenya to remove you from office pursuant to Articles 10 and 73 of the Constitution,” the lawyer warned.

The firms had sought the stay orders following the KRA boss’s letter dated January 28  that suspended operations at the two CFS.

Suspending operations

“To our utter shock and dismay, despite having full actual and constructive knowledge of the court order you have continuously disobeyed the said order by denying our client to resume operations as directed by the court.

“To achieve your schemes, you have co-opted the police forces who on February 2nd, a day after our clients had resumed operations, stormed the premises heavily armed and forced them to shut down unceremoniously,” protested the lawyer.

Trouble started after KRA placed seals on the gates of the two CFSs last Monday suspending operations, over claims that contraband sugar had been stored.

The family firm  then obtained stay orders but police officers later stormed the two  premises and forced them to shut down.