Two Kenyans who were nabbed with unauthorized bottled water valued at ksh500,375, bearing fake KRA stamps, on Wednesday, August 23 failed to turn up in court for plea taking.
Their lawyer told Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi that the two accused persons are in quarantine after interacting with a person who died from Covid-19 and requested the matter to be deferred for two weeks.
The magistrate ordered the accused to appear in court on September 13, 2021.
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Francis Mwaura Muthoni and Misheck Muchiri Mwangi are alleged that on July 13, 2021, along Nairobi-Garissa Road at Bondoni area within Kitui county were found in possession of excisable goods affixed with counterfeit excise stamps in a motor vehicle registration number KAQ 600 U Mitsubishi lorry occasioning the commissioner a loss of excise duty of Ksh57443 and VAT Ksh80,060 totalling to Ksh 137,503.
According to a police cover report on July 13, 2021, at around 01:00 am, a multi-agency team was at roadblock checking motor vehicles as usual at Bondeni area along Thika-Garissa highway when they intercepted a lorry blue in colour driven by one Misheck Muchiri and co-driver Brian Mbugui Wambui, on checking what was on board they found purified drinking water in bottles bearing the name ZION.
After interviewing the driver, they suspected the goods were not genuine and upon scanning the products, the scanner did not respond.
The motor vehicle was detained at Mwingi police station on suspicion of conveying counterfeit goods.
Officers from Domestic Taxes Department Thika were called to inspect the goods and found that all bottled drinking water in the truck were affixed with counterfeit stamps.
They also confirmed the goods belonged to JANFRA enterprises company owned by Francis Mwaura Mutoni.
Officers carrying out investigations interrogated the company and the driver.
The factory where the product was manufactured was photographed by officers from the DCI KRA unit and closed.
