Nyeri doctor charged with Sh10m tax evasion

Trader, Mr James Kariithi Njoroge, when he appeared before Nyeri court on June 22, 2018 where he was charged with tax evasion. The Nyeri court also issued an arrest warrant against another trader, Mr James Kamaru Maina, for failing to appear to face tax evasion charges. PHOTO | JOSEPH WANGUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Njoroge was charged with evading tax of more than Sh10.6 million.

  • Mr Njoroge faced two counts of fraudulently omitting Sh8.3 million from his income tax returns.

  • The Nyeri doctor has been released on a Sh100,000 cash bail after denying the tax fraud charges.

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has charged two businessmen from Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties with Sh80.3 million tax evasion.

Dr James Kariithi Njoroge, who is the director of Parkways Clinic Karatina and Mr James Kamaru Maina of Jomosa Kenya Limited are said to have defrauded the taxman the money between 2014 and 2017.

Mr Njoroge was charged with evading tax of more than Sh10.6 million before Nyeri Senior Principal Magistrate Phillip Mutua and was released on Sh100,000 cash bail after denying five tax offences levelled against him. 

According to the charge sheet, Mr Njoroge committed the offences between June 30, 2015 and December 2017.

INCOME TAX

Mr Njoroge faced two counts of fraudulently omitting Sh8.3 million from his income tax returns which he should have declared as required by the Income Tax Act.

He also faced two other counts of failing to pay tax of Sh2.1 million for 2015 and 2016.

Mr Njoroge was further charged with claiming a Sh202,013 income tax refund in 2014 that he was not entitled to.

The hearing for his case has be scheduled for July 6, 2018.

ARREST WARRANT

Meanwhile, the Nyeri court also issued a warrant of arrest against a Kirinyaga-based businessman Mr Maina for failing to appear in court to answer 14 charges of tax evasion amounting to Sh69.7 million.

Mr Maina is accused of failing to submit income tax returns to the Commissioner of Domestic Taxes on time as required by law.

He is also charged with failing to pay tax by due date and failing to declare part of his income when filing sales income.

Mr Maina is alleged to have committed the offences between January 2014 and December 2017 with others not before the court.

The case was also fixed for mention on July 6, 2018.