NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – A Nairobi-based hides and skins trader has been charged with five counts relating to tax fraud and failure to file tax returns leading to loss of revenue amounting to KSh 204 million.
Claire Marisiana Odimwa is said to have under-declared the weight and measure of wet salted cow hides meant for export by 3,862,264 Kgs with an intention to evade paying the correct export duty contrary to the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004.
The accused was arrested on 8th February 2018 and arraigned before Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku on 9th February 2018.
She denied all the charges and was released on a cash bail of Sh500,000.
Odimwa appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. R. Agengo on Thursday at the Milimani Law Courts for the mention and consolidation of her case with Maureen Mwamburi who had been charged previously with the same offense.
Mwamburi did not appear in court yesterday and the magistrate issued a warrant for her arrest.
In the other counts, Odimwa is charged with failure to file tax returns for the years 2014 to 2017 contrary to the provisions of the Tax Procedures Act, 2015. The case is set for hearing on 20th April, 2018.