KRA suspends 3 customs officials over ethanol sale

Times Tower, the headquarters of the KRA, in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has suspended three officers over the sale of Sh40 million condemned ethanol.

The officers stationed in Mombasa are said to have aided the sale of eight containers of ethanol outside the normal KRA auction process.

“The goods had been gazetted for auction set for 9th August, 2016.

However, verification by stakeholders showed that the containers had been imported and concealed as diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

Upon verification, they were not auctioned on the basis that they did not match the description.

KRA lab experts identified the substance as ethanol and, therefore, the items were set aside for destruction,” said Commissioner for intelligence and strategic operation Giithi Mburu in a statement.

He said in March, 2018, the containers were irregularly re-gazetted under notice number 2535, for auction in April 2018.