The High Court has extended orders freezing 11 bank accounts belonging to Nairobi tycoon Humphrey Kariuki over the alleged tax evasion amounting to Sh3 billion.
Kariuki will not access the accounts until a case filed by the Kenya Revenue Authority is heard and determined.
While extending the freezing orders, High Court Judge John Onyiego has also directed that the case is referred to the Commercial division for hearing and determination.
Justice Onyiego says the case should be heard at the Commercial division since it relates toa tax dispute.
“This matter is purely a tax case, therefore the matter is referred to the commercial division for further directions,” Onyiego rules.
The extension comes even as the businessman and his companies moved to court to challenge the orders freezing the accounts claiming that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) lied to the court to obtain orders freezing the accounts.
“There is a premeditated, well-coordinated and persistent scheme devised by KRA to malign my reputation and cause me a business loss. They’ accounts,” Kariuki says in court papers.
“It is also a deliberate untruth made dishonestly by KRA to obtain the court orders freezing the accounts. They know we don’t manufacture alcohol and act as importers of liquor, which they already tax before entry into the country,” adds Kariuki.
In the application, Kariuki wants the court to order the reopening of his Thika alcohol factory and lifting the orders that froze the companies’ accounts.
He also wants the court to issue an order blocking KRA from taking action to recover the alleged tax arrears.
The matter will be mentioned on March 12th, 2019.
