Mercy Victoria Masinde, Charity Njoki Kinyua, and security guard Jane Njoki Kangara exploited their roles at KRA to assist cartels in tax evasion
Their actions facilitated illegal activities, undermining the integrity of the tax system.
A Nairobi Court has stated that Mercy Victoria Masinde, Charity Njoki Kinyua, and security guard Jane Njoki Kangara were involved in a tax evasion syndicate that enabled numerous businesses and entrepreneurs to evade taxes.
The court ruled that the two former KRA officers charged with facilitating irregular issuance of a Tax Compliance Certificate to non-compliant taxpayers upon payment of a bribe have a case to answer.
While delivering her ruling, Nairobi Anti-corruption Court Principal Magistrate Celesa Asis Okore placed former KRA officers Mercy Victoria Masinde, Charity Njoki Kinyua, and security guard Jane Njoki Kangara on their defence after the prosecution established a prima facia case against them.
The court ruled that the accused persons being officers at the Department of Domestic Taxes of the Kenya Revenue Authority received a bribe of Ksh.4,500 and facilitated the issuance of a Tax Compliance Certificate to Esinka Agencies Limited which had outstanding Tax Liabilities amounting to Ksh.110,000.
The accused persons were arrested by a multi-agency security team led by DCI supported by other units, following a simultaneous raid on various KRA offices within Nairobi at its environs.
Mercy Victoria Masinde was separately charged with the additional offence of Abuse of office contrary to Section 46 as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act No.3 of 2003.
Prosecution counsel Jeremiah Walusala and Linda Otieno while arguing their case told the court that Mercy Victoria Masinde then working as a Tax Compliance Officer at KRA, used her position to improperly confer a benefit to award a Tax Compliance Certificate to Esinka Agencies Limited.
The case will be mentioned on September 9, 2024
