The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has called on the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to take swift administrative action against an officer stationed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The officer, entangled in a web of corruption, is alleged to have collaborated with representatives of a global logistics firm to manipulate taxes on a laptop being received by a Kenyan from a relative in the United States.

The DPP's directive stems from an exhaustive investigation carried out by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which concluded in July.

The accused KRA official found herself ensnared in the EACC's covert operation as she solicited a bribe.

The watchdog's report covering the three months up to September meticulously details the nefarious collusion.

Read More

  1. Court blocks KRA's controversial mobile phone tracking plan in privacy clash
  2. Lobby group challenges KRA's new IMEI disclosure policy for incoming phones
  3. Ruto cancels Adani's Sh334 billion JKIA and KETRACO deals over US indictments

According to the EACC report, the investigation was initiated in response to a complaint about collusion between DHL and KRA officials.

The alleged scheme aimed at defrauding unsuspecting Kenyans involved inflating taxes, creating an avenue for negotiations that ultimately demanded bribes for the expedited release of imported goods.

"The commission commenced investigation following a complaint that DHL and KRA officials were colluding to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans in a scheme where taxes were inflated to pave the way for negotiations of bribes before imported goods are released," the report stated.

Upon receiving a laptop from a relative in the US, the complainant was instructed to remit an import duty totalling Sh100,974.

The situation took a corrupt turn when the complainant engaged with a KRA officer from the Customs and Border Control Department.

This officer purportedly requested a Sh40,000 bribe to reassess and reduce the tax payable for the imported laptop.

The EACC's meticulous trap operation unfolded, culminating in the apprehension of the suspect after the receipt of marked "trap money."

"The complainant later met the KRA officer, Customs and Border Control Department, who requested a bribe of Sh40,000 to review the amount of tax payable for the imported laptop downwards," the report further stated.

"The commission’s officers carried out a trap operation that culminated in the arrest of the suspect after receiving trap money. Sh22,000 trap money was recovered from her." 

On July 10, the anti-corruption agency forwarded its comprehensive report to the DPP, urging charges against the implicated KRA official.

The recommended charges include two counts related to the receipt of a bribe.

The DPP's call for administrative action against the officer emphasizes the commitment to upholding transparency and integrity within Kenya's revenue administration.

This incident sheds light on the importance of maintaining vigilance against corruption within crucial governmental institutions, safeguarding the interests of the Kenyan public and preserving the nation's economic integrity.