Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja face arrest for snubbing court session in Sh14billion tax row
The embattled Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja could anytime be guest of the state after a Nakuru court issued a warrant of arrest against her for snubbing court sessions in Sh14.1billion tax row involving Keroche Breweries Limited.
The court issued the warrant of arrest yesterday and police are expected to enforce the arrest by arresting Karanja wherever she is in any part of the Kenyan jurisdiction.
Karanja failed to turn up in court for the hearing of the alleged tax evasion case.
In April this year, Karanja was charged afresh as the Keroche Breweries Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a position she recently relinquished.
The prosecution had requested to amend the charge sheet in the tax evasion case.
Keroche’s lawyers told the court during her court appearance that they want the matter resolved outside of court through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
However, a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officer Irene Muthee told the court that there had been no agreement to settle the matter outside of court because Keroche would be required to notify the commissioner in writing under the Tax Procedure Act.
Subsequently, the court gave Keroche 45 days to begin the out-of-court settlement process with KRA, failure to which the case will go to full trial.
“It’s evident that the defence was not ready. I give them 45 days to initiate the ADR process failure to which no further delay or adjournment will be granted. The court has always been ready.” Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu said.
In an attempt to clear the tax row with KRA, Karanja took to Twitter in February to explain the source of the company’s protracted Sh14.1billion tax row with the tax man.
Karanja claimed that the alleged tax arrears arose from the manufacture of one of its brands -The Viena Ice Ready to drink vodka.
“Our Viena Ready to Drink Vodka is produced by diluting the 40 percent Crescent Vodka, with our naturally distilled water from our source to make it 15 percent. This is similar to the way a customer can walk to a bar, purchase six tots of vodka equal to 188 ml of vodka and the bartender fetches a 312ml of water from his tap and mixes the two to make 500ml Ready to Drink Vodka. But unlike the barman, Keroche Breweries would use its 312ml naturally distilled water from our brewery source and use its 21st-century technology to mix uniformly to precision for moderate drinking.” Karanja explained.
