This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
On Monday, August 19, 2019, billionaire businessman Humphrey Kariuki was released on a cash bail of Ksh.11 million in his tax evasion case.
However, his freedom was short-lived as he was re-arrested in the evening over alleged illegal importation of ethanol at his Thika-based manufacturing firm, African Spirits Limited.
According to a report by Citizen TV, Kariuki was re-arrested just hours after appearing before Magistrate Francis Andayi and being charged with 21 counts of evading taxes amounting to Ksh.41 billion between 2014 and 2019.
Through his lawyer Kioko Kilukumi, Kariuki argued that he had not gone into hiding and that an arrest warrant had not been issued against him.
“There was no warrant of arrest either local or international issues against him,” Kilikumi argued.
He added, “It is his constitutional rights to be granted bail. We ask you to grant our plea on reasonable bail terms.”
