DCI flags 444 vehicles over unpaid duty as dealers are arrested
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is looking for 444 vehicles in Kenya, which according to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have not been paid for the required duty.
A circular issued to all the relevant security apparatus in the country stated that they should urgently trace and detain the said vehicles immediately.
“A list of the attached motor vehicles are circulated in order to have them traced and detained. The motor vehicles are suspected to have been fraudulently registered and they are therefore unaccustomed since taxes in their regard have not been paid,” the secular read in part.
At the same time, a suspect was arrested for importing overage vehicles in to the country which are prohibited under the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA).
David Yego, Commissioner, Investigation and Enforcement Department at KRA, said Ms Fathiya Yasir Ebrahim who has been on the run for the last one year was arrested at Lunga Lunga border on Thursday following departure prohibition orders issued against her.
“In October 2018, the suspect imported 11 overage vehicles in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) state. She later presented falsified documents to KRA indicating that the vehicles were within the eight-year threshold,” said Mr Yego.
The consignment had trucks and one minibus, which was intended for commercial use in the transport sector. They have since been seized by KRA.
In addition, six directors of clearing and forwarding firms have also been arrested for tax evasion.
According to Mr Yego, the six who have been evading payment of duty through tariff misclassification and under valuation of vehicles will be arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mombasa today.
The suspects are directors of clearing agent companies-Evescon Global Logisticss Limited, Fleet Freighters Limited, Rank Network Logistics Limited, S and L Port Solutions Limited, Sahara
International Logistics Limited and directors of second hand motor vehicle importation company, Manjok International Limited.
The second hand vehicle company Manjok International Limited had for the period 2016 to September, 2019, made a declaration of 87 vehicles under the wrong tariff code and in the process evaded payment of Sh53,878,677 million in taxes.
The arrests followed lengthy investigations carried out by KRA’s Investigation and Enforcement Department, supported by the Revenue Protection Services.
In the last several months, detectives have impounded more than a dozen top of the range vehicles which were imported fraudulently.
A Mercedes Benz GLA 200 was seized for tax evasion in what DCI said was part of an organized scheme.
It was registered under the name of Cynthia Wanjiru Gitonga, the wife of Embakasi West MP George Theuri.
Police say the car was declared as a semi-trailer that was manufactured at a fictitious company in Mombasa and had evaded paying the appropriate tax duty.