Keroche Breweries’ Tabitha Karanja and Husband To be Arrested Over Tax Evasion

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Noordin Haji, on Wednesday ordered the arrest and arraignment of Keroche breweries directors – Tabitha Karanja and her husband, Joseph Karanja, on claims of tax evasion amounting to Sh14.4 billion.

The two, who are directors of the brewery, will face 10 counts of Tax Fraud.

“Having independently reviewed the file and applying the provisions of the National Prosecution Policy, I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge the suspects listed herein with 10 counts of Tax Fraud, contrary to section 97 (a) and (c) of the Tax Procedures Act, 2015,” said the DPP in a statement.

According to the DPP, KRA commissioner-general submitted an inquiry file to his office on August 18 and an audit by KRA established that Keroche Breweries had evaded payment of tax totaling sh14,451,836,375.

The taxman accuses the company of evading payment of Sh12.34 billion VAT for stamps (Sh329.4 million), Crescent Vodka (Sh135.4 million) among other products. The firm is also is also accused of evading payment of excise duty amounting to Sh2.1 billion for the same items.