Alcohol firm directors charged with tax evasion, risk Sh5m fine

Proprietors of spirits manufacturing firm and cosmetics firm have been charged with tax evasion amounting to Sh5.3 million before Thika magistrate’s court.

Peter Njoroge Mwangi, Johnson Murei Muthigoro, and Joshua Kamau Njuguna, all directors of Dynamo Chemicals Limited and Vinepack Limited in Thika respectively were jointly charged with three counts of violation of various sections of Excisable Goods Management System, Regulation 2017.

On the first count, the four-faced a charge of having 700 casks each 10 litres of Fiesta Special Ice brand of spirit affixed with counterfeit excise stamps. This caused KRA a tax loss of Sh2 million, which occurred on October 6 at Ngoliba within Kiambu County.

The four accused persons also faced a similar charge of owning 889 casks each 10 litres of Fiesta Special Ice of vodka brand spirit and 511 bottles (each 750ml) of Fiesta Vodka spirit affixed with counterfeit excise stamps at Vinepack Limited in Thika also within Kiambu County. The accused were found with the goods of Sh2.7 million in excise tax value on October 8.

The four proprietors jointly with others who were not before the court also faced a charge of having 7,638 bottles (each 250 ml) moonlight vodka brand of spirit not affixed with excise duty stamps. The goods had an excisable duty value of Sh608,290. The offence also happened on October 8 at Vinepack Limited in Thika town.

Thika Senior Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyaga released the accused on Sh2 million bond each or an alternative of cash bail of Sh1,000,000 each and set the case to be mentioned on November 24.

If found guilty, the accused are liable to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both a fine and imprisonment.

The Kenya Revenue Authority targeted to prosecute 600 individuals in 2019 for tax evasion related cases. The Authority prosecuted 222 individuals in 2018.