KRA and KEBs officials charged with neglect of duty, office abuse

From left: KRA, Kenya Ports Authority and Kebs officials and businessmen Felix Makau, Karim Amirali, Roy Francis, Joseph Bojo, Mwangemi Pole, Peter Nyanjui, David Njagi and Kiprono Bullut in court yesterday. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Senior officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards were yesterday charged with abuse of office and neglect of official duty.

The charges related to the seizure of sub-standard goods, including rice and fertiliser, that the prosecution argued they conspired to release into the market.

The KPA chief manager of container freight stations, Kiprono Cole Bullut, and David Njagi Mbogori, the customs head verification officer, appeared before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi and denied the charges.

The court heard that on December 27, 2017, in Mombasa County, jointly with others not before the court, they conspired to release a consignment of Thai white rice which did not meet the specified standards.

Thai white rice

Another charge against Mr Bullut stated that on similar dates and place, he neglected his official duties by allowing the clearance of the substandard rice.

The other accused are Kebs inspectors Peter Kinyanjui and Joseph Bojo, port health officer Mwangemi Pole Dima, and clearing agents Roy Francis Mwanthi, Moses Ngoka Yaa, Zainab Taibali and Felix Makau Simon.

Kebs managers Peter Nyanjui Ndungu and Joseph Bojo Kafahamu were charged with wilful disobedience of statutory duty, contrary to Section 130 of the Penal Code.

The charge stated that on December 21, 2017, and December 27, 2017, they wilfully disobeyed the provisions of Section 14B of the Standards Act by releasing consignments of sub-standard Thai white rice to IGSAR Group Kenya Ltd.

The two Kebs managers also faced abuse of office charges.

Mr Pole Mwangemi, a port health official, was also charged with abuse of office.

Other clearing agents and the importers - Mwanthi, Ngoka, Taibali, Makau, Zainab AbdulKader Diwan, Karim Amirali Dharamshi, IGSAR Group Kenya Limited and Inland Africa Logistics - were charged with wilful disobedience of statutory duty, contrary to the law.

The suspects and others are also facing charges related to the importation of sub-standard fertiliser, tyre tubes and diapers.

Bullut was released on a cash bail of Sh1 million.

Me Kinyanjui was granted a cash bail of Sh200,000 while the rest were asked to pay Sh300,000 each.