2 KEBS Officials Arrested in Connection to Contaminated Sugar Imports

Two Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KEBS) officials were on Friday arrested in connection with the illegal importation of sugar.

The two Mombasa-based officials, an importer and a clearing agent, are accused of allowing the sugar through the port.

The Star reports that the two were nabbed by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from Nairobi who had camped in the coastal city for a week conducting investigations.

Reports further indicated that the two were scheduled to be arraigned at the Mombasa High Court on Friday.

[caption caption="Bales of impounded repacked sugar along with KEBS stickers after they were seized by police"][/caption]

The crackdown is part of a joint operation launched by the DCI and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) that has seen three Kenya Pipeline Authority (KPA) arrested over corruption claims as well.

The band of four was charged with the concealment and improper declaration of goods worth Ksh.6 Million.

A KRA official, Eric Micheni, was also arrested in the Monday incident and charged with concealing imported goods "with the intention to subsequently remove them without following prescribed processes".

He was additionally charged with being in possession of the substandard goods contrary to section 32 (A) as read with section 35 (1) of the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008.

The KPA officers nabbed were named as Tom Oyugi, Enock Omondi and William Langat were part of the syndicate that imported counterfeit rolls of electric cables, insecticides, water meters, face and body creams, pressure cookers, water heaters, tape measures, screwdrivers among other items.

"More interventions geared towards combating tax evasion and corruption in tax collection are in progress," the joint statement from the two bodies read in part.

[caption caption="Government officials prepare to burn items that were found to be counterfeits"][/caption]

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