Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has ordered the immediate arrest of Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja.
Haji also ordered the arrest of Tabitha’s husband, Joseph Karanja, who is also a director at the alcohol manufacturer.
The DPP said Keroche industries are wanted over tax fraud after their company evaded Sh14 billion tax.
The two become the latest billionaires in the alcohol manufacturing process to fall on the wrong side of the law over allegations of tax evasion.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has over the years been embroiled in a tug of war with the Naivasha-based brewer over tax computation method.
In a previous tussle, KRA ordered excise duty on Viena Ice paid at Sh101.2 per litre while Keroche insisted on Sh26.4 per litre.
The two Keroche directors are expected in court today in a series of crackdown targeting suspected tax evasion in the alcohol sector which also also saw city billionaire Humprey Karuiki Ndegwa arraigned in court on Monday over Sh41 billion tax evasion saga.
Billionaire Kariuki, who has ownership in Africa Spirits Ltd and Wines of the World Ltd (WOW), was on Monday arrested shortly after a Nairobi court freed him on a Sh11 million cash bail.
State authorities had been pursuing Kariuki for over a week before he surrendered at the Milimani Law Courts on Monday morning.
