NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 9 – Directors of Purma Holdings Mary Wambui and Purity Njoki presented themselves in court Thursday after escaping a police dragnet on Wednesday night.
They were wanted over Sh2.2 billion tax evasion and a warrant of arrest was issued against them last week when they failed to appear in court and instead sent their accountant.
The two arrived in court on Thursday morning, covering their faces, while accompanied by lawyer Nelson Havi.
This follows a dramatic escape from Weston Hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday night where detectives had laid wait.
“The two, Mary Wambui Mungai & Purity Njoki Mungai escaped from their hotel rooms a few minutes before the police and officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) arrived to arrest them. Upon searching the hotel premises, KRA officers and the police found personal belongings of the two including cash, bank cards and car keys; a clear indication that the two were residing at the hotel,” KRA said in a statement.
UPDATE: Purma Holdings Directors Escape at City Hotel
2 directors of Purma Holdings Limited being sought over Kshs. 2.2 billion tax evasion court case, this evening escaped a police dragnet at a local city hotel where they were residing.
— Kenya Revenue Authority (@KRACorporate) December 8, 2021
The two directors of Purma Holdings were wanted following a warrant of arrest issued against them in a Sh2.2 billion tax evasion case.
The warrant on the two was issued after they failed to appear in the Anti-Corruption Court to answer 8 counts of “knowingly and unlawfully omitting taxes due in the Income Tax returns submitted to the Commissioner for Domestic Taxes between 2014-2016.”
They had attempted to obtain orders to suspend the warrant but were not successful.
It was not immediately clear how the two managed to escape from the hotel despite the presence of detectives who had been waiting to arrest them.
