Four charged in court in relation to seized counterfeit liqour
By COLLINS OMULOFour traders have been charged in a court in Nairobi for selling alcohol without import and distribution licence and obstructing county officers from accessing their depot after the illicit consignment estimated to be worth Sh10 million was impounded in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Nahashon Mathenge Wahome and Charles Wanjau Kanyi were accused of importing/distributing alcoholic drink without a valid liquor licence within the jurisdiction of the county of Nairobi city without liquor licence contrary to section 36(1)a and punishable under section 36(3) of the county of Nairobi City Alcoholic Drink control and Licensing Act, 2014.
DENIED CHARGES
They, however, denied the charge and were released on a cash bail of Sh300, 000 or bond of Sh1 million plus one surety.
The other two – Alex Mathenge Muthoi and Edward Kabui Mwaniki – were charged with obstructing county officers while executing their duties and inciting members of the public to throw stones at the officers while trying to access the depot that has the alcohol.
Mr Muthoi and Mr Mwaniki were also arrested on Tuesday at while offloading 941 cartoons containing the counterfeit liquor at Jerusalem Shopping Centre.
CASH BAIL
They also denied the charge and were released on a cash bail of Sh30, 000 or bond of Sh50, 000 plus a surety of the same.
Following the arrest, Embakasi West sub-County Liquor Board chairman Mr Paul Ayiro said that the suspects neither had an importation license nor a letter to operate such a depot.
He explained that the KRA stickers on the alcohol bottles had not been activated.
The case will be mentioned on December 13, 2018 and heard next year on January 22.