A Scottish fraudster involved in a Ksh3.3 billion (£20 million) VAT scam is wanted in Kenya over unpaid debt to one of the largest telecommunications operators.
The suspect, who is originally from Bathgate, West Lothian, is being pursued in the Kenyan courts by the telecoms giant after allegedly fleeing the country while his former company still owed Ksh119m (£709,000).
Incidentally, the Scot was jailed separately for six years in March 2024 after he was convicted alongside 19 others in a major VAT fraud, which was uncovered during an investigation that lasted over 10 years.
According to court documents from the telecommunication company's lawsuit, the suspect's firm abandoned its offices in Nairobi in 2016 after transferring all its shares to a different company registered in Seychelles.
The telecoms provider claims the transfer of shares was part of an elaborate plot to allow the suspect and his business partner to leave Kenya scot-free without honouring their debts.
Part of the deal between the suspect and the telecoms company involved the suspect's company entering a network-sharing agreement in 2006. However, by 2016, the business had begun defaulting on payments owed under the arrangement.
In 2024, a Nairobi judge ordered the suspect and his co-director to return to Kenya to answer for the unpaid debt. The judge ruled that the men would be held "personally liable" if they evaded the court further.
The suspect, alongside his wife and son, had earlier this month been implicated in another complex VAT fraud scheme involving metals, electrical goods and telecommunications.
His son, 41, was also handed a 22-month suspended sentence for his role in the taxpayer-funded scam.
Meanwhile, the wife received a two-year suspended sentence for money laundering after an HMRC investigation revealed she allowed Ksh42 million (£250,000) to pass through her personal accounts while her family enjoyed luxury trips to Florida holiday homes.
An HMRC investigation is an inquiry carried out by HM Revenue & Customs, the UK government department responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax law.
The investigation focused on a company based in Crewe, which allegedly used a chain of firms to trade metals, electrical products and telecoms equipment while submitting flawed VAT claims.
