Businesswoman Mary Wambui Released On Sh 25 Million Cash Bail

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9 –  Businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai has been granted bail of Sh25 million or a bond of Sh 50 million in a tax evasion case.

Appearing before Anti-Corruption Senior Principal Magistrate Felix Mutinda Kombo, Wambui alongside her co-accused Purity Njoki Mungai, were as part of the ruling, directed to surrender their passports in court.

Also, they were instructed not to interfere with witnesses.

The two were accused of allegedly omitting from returns an amount that should have been included contrary to section 97 (a) as read with section 104 (3) of the tax procedures act No. 29 of 2015.

In the first count, she alongside other directors of the company said to have omitted from the company’s tax return Sh2,231,789,125, an amount which should have been included in the income tax returns submitted to the KRA commissioner for the year of income 2014.

The accused’s lawyer Nelson Havi had earlier pleaded with the anti-corruption court to grant the suspects a reasonable bail term.

Havi requested the court to grant the two suspects a cash bail of Sh5 million each.

The prosecution meanwhile opposed the release of the suspects on bail saying that they are a flight risk since they were issued with warrants of arrest.

The court was also informed that they lied to have been admitted a the Kiambu and Nairobi hospital yet they were traced at Weston hotel in rooms A301 and A302 before evading arrest.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said in a statement that Wambui, alongside Purity Njoki Mungai, who are both directors of Purma Holdings Limited, escaped from their hotel rooms a few minutes before the police and KRA officers arrived to arrest them.

The two are now expected to present themselves to DCI detectives at the Kenya Revenue Authority on December 14, 2021.

The case will be mentioned on December 16, 2021.