OIL DEALER CHARGED WITH TAX SMUGGLING

OIL DEALER CHARGED WITH TAX SMUGGLING

By Donald Kogai

A proprietor of a petrol station in Moyale town

in Marsabit County has been charged with

smuggling of uncustomed fuel and other

related counts at the Isiolo law courts.

Jibril Ahmed Nache, a proprietor of Bismilahi

Petrol Station faced a total of four counts

including evasion of payment of duty, procuring

and storage of uncustommed goods, operating

unlicensed petroleum facility and selling non-

conforming petroleum products.

These actions constitutes offences under

the East African Community Customs

Management Act, 2014 and the Petroleum Act,

2019. The regulations are being enforced by the

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau

of Standards (KEBS) and Energy and Petroleum

Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

The accused person was arrested on 2nd

August 2020 after 15,000 litres of diesel

sold to Seal Oilry East Africa Limited were

intercepted while being transported on a truck

along Moyale-Isiolo road.

The businessman denied the charges and

was released on a bond of Kshs.1 million

and a surety of similar amount.

If convicted, the accused shall be liable to

imprisonment for a term not exceeding five

years or to a fine equal to fifty percent of the

dutiable value of the goods involved, or both.

Smuggling of cheap petroleum products from

the neighbouring country leads to loss of

revenue, availability of substandard products

for sale in the local market and unfair

competition to genuine businesses in the

sector.