BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
A transporter has been fined Sh100,000 failure to which he will serve three months in jail after he was found guilty of possessing counterfeit stamps.
Joseph Hunja Ndungu admitted that he had affixed counterfeit excise stamps to liquor products he was distributing for sale in the local market.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku heard that Ndung’u was in possession of 5,500 bottles of 750 ml of Santana Ice Vodka affixed with counterfeit stamps with a duty value of Sh1.4 million.
The court heard that on January 9 this year along Nairobi-Naivasha highway, jointly with others not before court, Ndung’u was found in possession of some 5,500 bottles of Santana ice vodka on board of a Mitsubishi Fuso affixed with counterfeit excise stamps with dutiable value of Sh1,358,187.
Ndung’u had told the court that he is a transporter and it is very hard for him to differentiate between counterfeit and none counterfeit stamps.
He further told the court that he was servicing a loan for the Mitsubishi Fuso and urged the court to release it to him so he can continue doing transport business.
The court directed Kenya Revenue Authority to release the vehicle back to him.
Affixing counterfeit excise stamps to excisable goods such as alcohol and beverages is a criminal offence under Regulation 30 (1) (G) and Regulation 30(2) of the Excise Duty (Excisable Goods Management System) Act.
