A Nairobi court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Mohan Galot, the ailing chairman of London Distillers Kenya (LDK), in connection with a long-running forgery case.
Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego issued the warrant on April 1 after the prosecution told the court that Galot had failed to appear as directed in criminal case number 276 of 2018.
The magistrate was informed that efforts to locate him had been unsuccessful.
Galot, through his legal representatives, said he is in London for medical treatment and was therefore unable to attend court.
His son, Avin Galot, who also serves as a director at LDK, faulted the decision, arguing that the magistrate disregarded a medical report explaining his father’s condition.
The prosecution alleges that Galot forged the signatures of public officers in the Registrar of Companies in a bid to manipulate company records.
He has consistently denied the claims, alleging that the criminal proceedings have been instigated by relatives Pravin Galot and Rajesh Galot to force him out of the family’s business empire.
His legal team is reportedly preparing to contest the warrant, coming months after he lost a High Court application that sought to block the criminal case altogether.
This latest development comes on the back of other legal setbacks for Galot, one of Kenya’s wealthiest businessmen, who controls an expansive portfolio of companies under his belt.
In October 2024, the High Court dismissed his appeal in a tax dispute that had dragged on for 17 years.
The case involved a refund claim of Ksh 1,782,386 which the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) declined after he imported a Range Rover from the United Kingdom.
Justice Alfred Mabeya upheld earlier decisions by the Customs and Excise Appeal Tribunal, finding that KRA’s refusal was legal under the East Africa Customs Management Act.
LDK, which Galot chairs, is one of Kenya’s largest alcohol manufacturers, producing more than 25 liquor brands such as Safari Cane and Old Monk Rum, both of which have received international recognition.
