Rehema Badi, the importer behind the Ksh214 million sugar under scrutiny at the Port of Mombasa, has opened up about intrigues surrounding the condemned commodity.
On Saturday, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) seized 46 containers and declared sugar stored in 13 of them unfit for human consumption.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Badi revealed that when the consignment arrived, she was told that the sugar she imported via a private company would be put up for sale if she did not pay taxes.
She then resorted to rushing to raise money including borrowing from friends.
"Immediately I was told by KRA (Kenya Revenue Authority) that they were auctioning my sugar so I had to look for money from a friend as a loan so that when I sell the sugar, I return the money," she stated.
"This guy gave me Ksh30 million and I paid the taxes. Of these 46 containers, 13 of them were soaked in water. The other 33 were clean," she added, explaining that she later learnt that she had paid the taxes even for the condemned sugar.
She further revealed that the company had paid an additional Ksh6 million as an inspection fee to oversee the process.
Inspectors at the port found the cargo, which weighed 112 metric tonnes, contaminated with some of the containers flooded with seawater.
As a result, KPA directed the importer to destroy the sugar immediately after it was declared unfit for human consumption.
The cargo is, however, yet to be destroyed with additional inspection ongoing for the other 33 bags of sugar.
After seizing the sugar, officials moved it to the port storage units awaiting destruction.
Shortly after importation, rumours began swirling that part of the condemned sugar had already been released to the market but Badi denied the claims.
