Case against Anerlisa Muigai’s mother to appear in court after arrest warrant issued

The tax evasion case against former Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja will proceed in October without fail.

The case was scheduled to be heard on Wednesday and Thursday, but Karanja did not attend. As a result, the court issued a warrant for her arrest.

On Friday, the court lifted the warrant and gave Karanja a warning that the trial will proceed in her absence if she does not attend.

The magistrate also cautioned Karanja against changing her lawyers in an attempt to delay the case.

The court was told that the parties are considering settling the matter out of court, and if this is the case, the case will be taken for mediation.

The hearing is scheduled for October 2.

In April, Karanja was charged afresh with 10 counts of tax evasion.

The charges allege that she and Keroche Breweries unlawfully made incorrect statements in their excise duty returns, omitted information from their VAT returns, and under-declared production volumes.

The prosecution is seeking a total of Sh14.5 billion in unpaid taxes.

Karanja’s lawyers have indicated that they are seeking to settle the matter out of court, but the KRA has said that they have not received any information about a settlement.

The case is scheduled to proceed in October, and it remains to be seen whether it will be settled out of court or go to trial.