This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
On August 22, 2019, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji ordered the arrest of Keroche Breweries Limited proprietors Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja in connection with tax evasion.
According to Haji, an audit by the Kenya Revenue Authority established that the couple, through Keroche Breweries, evaded taxes amounting to Sh14.4 billion.
The evasion occurred between January 2015 and June 2019, with the company failing to remit excise duty and value-added tax (VAT) on its various beer products, including Crescent Vodka, Viena Ice, and Summit Lager, as well as duty stamps.
Following an independent review of the file, Haji stated that there was sufficient evidence to charge the couple and Keroche Breweries Limited with 10 counts of tax fraud, contrary to section 97 (a) and (c) of the Tax Procedures Act, 2015.
