A day after the Kenya Revenue Authority reopened two freight stations owned by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s family, police officers yesterday shut down the premises again.
This is despite a court order stopping the KRA from interfering with the businesses.
KRA on Monday afternoon cut the seals at the gate of the two firms to allow importers and clearing agents to remove their consignment after they were given a 36-hour order to have the containers cleared.
However, yesterday afternoon, Port police boss Zachaeus Ng’eno said they have been instructed to close the two firms, Autoport Freight Station and Portside.
Nge’no said the firms are under investigation over alleged smuggling of goods and tax evasion.
“There are still further investigations, which need to be done,” he said.
“We have agreed with the management that we are closing down the facilities until police investigations are complete.”
A team of officers from the General Service Unit is guarding the premises, despite protests from the clearing agents and importers, who had arrived to clear cargo.
Addressing the media at Autoport Freight Station premises, Nge’no said he was under instructions from the office of Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet.
“KRA might have done their part, but police are yet to complete their complex investigations,” he told journalists.
Ng’eno said the court is the only institution that will determine if the decision to close down the two premises is contempt.
The stations are accused of handling smuggled goods, including sugar, ethanol and rice and were shut down last week by the KRA.
Portside Container Freight Station operations manager Salim Juma said they were in the process of clearing the cargo when the officers raided.
“We are still shocked that they had to deploy such heavy contingent of police to our premises after we complied with KRA. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
Juma said they have not finished clearing the cargo within the 36-hour time given by the taxman.
The Star has established that a special team of the elite Recce Squad from Nairobi has been dispatched to Mombasa to man the two facilities.
The team arrived yesterday and was immediately deployed to the stations.