TRADER ADMITS USING FAKE KRA STAMPS TO EVADE 1.4M TAXES

Trader admits using fake stamps to evade Kshs 1.4 M taxes

By Samuel Migele

A businessman pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of counterfeit

excise stamps affixed to liquor products he was distributing for sale

in the local market.

Appearing before the Milimani Law Court Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku,

the accused Joseph Ndung’u admitted to the charge of being in

possession of 5,500 bottles of 750 ml of Santana Ice Vodka affixed with

counterfeit stamps with a duty value of Kshs1.4 million.

The accused was fined Kshs 100,000 failure to which he will be jailed

for 3 months. The goods have been forfeited to KRA.

Ndung’u was arrested on 21st January after Multi-agency team found the

liquor in his motor vehicle at a guest house along Naivasha-Nairobi

highway on 9th January 2021. Delivery book recovered in the vehicle

indicated that the liquor was being taken to Kerugoya and Maragwa.

Affixing counterfeit excise stamps to excisable goods such as alcohol

and beverages is a criminal offence under Regulation 30 (1) (G) as

read with Regulation 30(2) of the Excise Duty (Excisable Goods

Management System) Act 2015.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) strives to detect and disrupt tax

evasion schemes and prosecute criminals to ensure that all individuals

pay their fair share of taxes.