Watch: Keroche Breweries owners Tabitha, Joseph Karanja arrested over tax evasion worth billions

The Keroche Breweries owners Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja have been arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, according to Nation Breaking News. They have been arrested from their factory in Naivasha and are being taken to DCI headquarters in Kiambu.

The couple has been arrested over the charges of tax evasion worth Sh14 billion. It has been alleged that they evaded tax on various products manufactured and sold by Keroche Breweries Limited during the period of January 2015 to June 2019.

DETECTIVES ARREST Keroche Breweries Director Tabitha Karanja and other officials in Naivasha after the firm was accused of Sh14bn tax evasion. pic.twitter.com/sjHCkKpij9

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Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji ordered the arrest and prosecution of Keroche Breweries owners Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja. According to the DPP, an audit by KRA established that Keroche Breweries Limited evaded taxes by failing to pay Excise Duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on its various products including Crescent Vodka, Viena Ice and Summit beers as well as duty stamps.

"Having independently reviewed the file and applying the provisions of the National Prosecution Policy, I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge the suspects listed herein with 10 counts of Tax Fraud, contrary to section 97 (a) and (c) of the Tax Procedures Act, 2015," said the DPP.