• Njiraini says suit is unfounded and malicious, terms it as a blackmail.
• He denied the allegations terming himself as a stranger to the dispute.
Image: FILE
Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General, John Njiraini has accused a trader of blackmailing him for refusing to halt a tax investigation against him and his businesses.
Early this month, the trader, Njama Wambugu filed a suit in which he accused the KRA boss of using his position as a taxman to harass him.
In a replying affidavit filed to counter Wambugu’s allegations at the Constitutional and Human Rights division of the High Court, Njiraini said the claims by Wambugu are unfounded, malicious and driven by his (Njiraini’s) refusal to accede to a request to halt ongoing tax investigations against Wambugu and his businesses.
He also denied accusations of abusing his office. Court documents filed show that KRA is demanding unpaid taxes from Wambugu and his firms including Roser Roofing East Africa, A-One Health Care, Tradeline Express Limited and Citigate Developers.
The tax demands arose from investigations carried out from June last year. According to Njiraini, two emissaries sent by Wambugu in August and September last year approached him requesting a halt to the tax investigations but he declined.
Upon his refusal, the emissaries warned that Wambugu had threatened to “drag his name through the mud” but the threat was not adequate to get Njiraini to change his mind.
“Upon my refusal to accept their request, two agents working for the petitioners warned me that Njama Wambugu was determined to drag my name through the mud...” Njiraini said.
The suit by Wambugu stems from what appears to have been a fallout with his co-partner, Winfrida Wanjiku Ngumi, in another company, Space and Style Limited, which is not connected to the ongoing tax case.
The suit between Wambugu and Ngumi stems from a transfer of 4,197 shares that granted the latter controlling interest in Space and Style Limited, but which Wambugu denies having consented to.
Ngumi has in the current suit filed documents to support her claim to the shares, but in addition, sworn affidavits to counter allegations by Wambugu that Njiraini holds shares in Space and Style Limited.
Njiraini has also denied the allegations of having any financial or management interests in Space and Style Limited. Njiraini has asked the court to dismiss Wambugu’s suit with the award of costs to him.