NAIROBI: The Kenya Revenue Authority yesterday said sacked Nairobi county financial controller Jimmy Kiamba owes not Sh98 million, but Sh480 million.
The authority said it revised its claim upward after studying Kiamba’s undeclared income between 2007 and 2013. KRA lawyer Okello Ogello said analysts are still reviewing Kiamba’s income between 2006 and 2009 to establish the exact amount he owes. “The claim is not Sh98 million, but Sh480 million for the financial years.
There should be no variation of the temporary orders freezing the defendants accounts,” Ogello said. He made submissions before High Court judge Fred Ochieng at Milimani. Kiamba’s 10 accounts hold about Sh124 million. Kiamba used to earn Sh85,000 a month.
His lawyer Philip Nyachoti, however, said his client has no money to survive on and urged the court to unfreeze some accounts. “My client is really suffering and I pray some accounts be unfrozen since he has family obligations,” he said. The judge unfroze an account of Sh4 million to give Kiamba a reprieve, but extended a freeze on Sh120 million held in other accounts pending a ruling on October 1.
Five accounts are at CFC Stanbic, two at Cooperative Bank, and one each at Standard Chartered, Equity and Gulf African banks.
Court documents do not specify the amount held in each account. Apart from the money frozen, the KRA has attached Kiamba’s eight properties worth Sh365 million. He allegedly acquired the property between January and November last year. The taxman has attached a house in Muthaiga worth Sh180 million, another in Runda worth Sh72 million and a third one worth Sh40 million in Kileleshwa.
Three properties on Prit Lane Courts worth Sh17.5 million each and two in Bandari Villas, South C, worth Sh10.5 million each, have also been attached. KRA tax assessor Cyrell Wangunda says the amount of money in Kiamba’s accounts is “colossal” and he is likely to frustrate recovery of the tax owed if he is allowed to move the money.
“Preliminary findings in documents produced indicate the respondent has not been complying with the provisions of the Income Tax Act through underpayment,” he said. Wangunda said one of the accounts holds Sh110 million, two others have Sh10 million and another Sh4 million.
