UPDATE: Humphrey Kariuki was freed on a Ksh10 million bond after pleading not guilty to tax evasion charges.
Kenyan Billionaire, Humphrey Kariuki, has finally surrendered at Milimani Law Courts roughly two weeks after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations launched a manhunt.
According to a report by Citizen TV, Kariuki appeared at the court's premises on Monday morning where he was charged with tax evasion amounting to Ksh41 billion.
He was charged alongside other businessmen including Stuart Gerard and Simon Maundu.
On August 9, a magistrate's court had summoned the billionaire in relation to the crime that he reportedly committed between 2014 and 2019.
His failure to appear at the court then resulted in a search warrant launch by multi-agency security last week which reportedly traced Kariuki to London.
In his defence, the tycoon, through his lawyer, Kioko Kilukumi, pleaded not guilty to the charges and argued that he had not gone into hiding.
Kilukumi further stated that his client had jetted back into the country on Sunday evening awaiting the court appearance on Monday.
“There was no warrant of arrest either local or international issued against him.
“It is his constitutional right to be granted bail. We ask you to grant our plea on reasonable bail terms," Kilukumi told the court.
DPP Noordin Haji had earlier approved tax evasion charges against the mogul after KRA established he, through his company Africa Spirits Limited, had evaded the tax.
