Seven witnesses lined-up against Mohan Galot’s Sh2.5billion tax evasion suit

The prosecution has lined up seven witnesses to testify against billionaire Mohan Galot who has been charged with evading taxes amounting to Sh2.5 billion.

Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi on Monday heard that Galot through his lawyer had been supplied with all the evidence documents that will be used during trial and the prosecution is ready to proceed with the case to the full hearing.

According to the prosecution, that the inventory document dated July 27, 2021 has been filed and contains 22 exhibits.

Magistrate Andayi directed the matter to be mentioned on October 29, 2021 for pre-trial and fixing of hearing date.

“This matter is serious and requires thorough trial but since am on transfer I will leave it to the upcoming court,” he said.

In the case, Galot has been charged with tax evasion amounting to over Sh2.5 billion.

He faces a total of 18 charges of failing to pay taxes in what the prosecution termed as economic crimes aimed at sabotaging the country’s economy by weakening its tax revenue.

According to the charge sheet, being the director of London distillers Kenya limited, he unlawfully omitted from excise duty returns for the year 2016 production volumes totaling to 164, 593litres of the ready to drinks and 2,902661 of spirit.

The drinks ought to have been declared to the commissioner as required by the excise duty Act of 2015 laws of Kenya.

He allegedly committed the offence between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 within the country.

He faced a second count of failing to pay excise duty amounting to Sh524, 425,063 for the year 2016 on the same dates.

He is also accused of failing to pay excise duty of Sh814, 531,858 for the year 2017.

The court heard that Galot also failed to pay excise duty amounting Sh171, 126, 307 for the year 2019 between January 1 and December 31, 2019.

According to the charge sheet, between January 2016 and December 2018, Galot activated 1,610,150 stamps in the EGMS system representing a production equivalent to 527,250 liters.