Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, has ordered the arrest of Keroche Breweries owner Tabitha Karanja and her husband for alleged tax evasion.

According to the Mr. Haji, the couple has evaded tax amounting to more than Sh. 14.4 billion.

Following the order, reports say that police were on Wednesday evening looking for Ms. Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja, who is the chairman of the company.

Ms. Karanja is the chief executive officer at Keroche Breweries.

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Mr. Haji said he has enough evidence linking Tabitha Mukami Muigai, Joseph Karanja Muigai both directors of Keroche and the company itself to 10 counts of tax fraud contrary to section 97 (a) and (c) of the tax procedures act, 2015.

“The audit by the Kenya Revenue Authority established that Keroche had evaded the payment of tax totaling over sh14 billion,” says Noordin Haji in a statement to the newsroom.

“Therefore having independently review the file and applying the provisions of national prosecution policy, I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge the suspects with 10 counts of tax fraud,” says Haji. Mid this month, Kenya Revenue Authority disclosed that it is targeting 600 individuals this year in the war against tax evasion.

The Authority revealed that it prosecuted 222 individuals last year but the figure will go up in 2019 in a step that is also targeting to help the taxman boost its revenue collection. “Last year we took to court 222 individuals, this year we have shifted our focus completely, we want to prosecute 600 individuals.

Early this month DPP Noordin Haji preferred arrest of tycoon Humphrey Kariuki (Director WOW beverages) and nine others over Sh. 41 billion tax arrears.
Kariuki has already appeared before the court where he granted Sh. 10 million cash bail and ordered to surrender his two passports and appear before DCI in six hours.