Fugitive Jubilee Party sponsor surrenders at Milimani court
Two directors of Purma Holdings Limited Mary Wambui Mungai (right) and her daughter Purity Njoki Mungai before the anti-corruption court in Nairobi on December 9, 2021. They are accompanied by lawyer Nelson Havi. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG
Mary Wambui Mungai and her daughter Purity Njoki walked in court donning hijabs on Thursday morning.
They two are facing eight counts of tax evasion.
Fugitive billionaire Jubilee Party campaign financier Mary Wambui Mungai, wanted in a Sh2.2 billion tax evasion case, has presented herself at the Milimani anti-corruption court.
Mrs Mungai surrendered hours after escaping a police dragnet at Weston Hotel where she was hiding alongside her daughter Purity Njoki Mungai.
The two escaped from the hotel a few minutes before the police and officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) arrived to arrest them on Wednesday night.
Upon searching the hotel premises, KRA officers and the police found personal belongings of the two including cash, bank cards and car keys.
The businesswoman and her daughter, both directors of Purma Holdings Limited, have since changed their lawyer from Mr Sylvanus Osoro to Nelson Havi.
They walked in court donning hijabs on Thursday morning.
The two are facing eight counts of knowingly and unlawfully omitting taxes due in the income tax returns submitted to the Commissioner for Domestic Taxes for the period between 2014 and 2016.
Lawyer Nelson Havi and businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai and her daughter Purity Njoki Mungai at the Milimani Law Courts on December 9, 2021. PHOTO | POOL | NMG
A warrant of arrest was issued for the two on December 6 after they failed to appear in the anti-corruption court before Chief Magistrate Felix Mutinda Kombo.
The two had also failed to honour summons to appear before KRA on December 3, 2021, to be informed of the charges against them and instead sent their accountant.
Through their former lawyer Mr Osoro, Ms Wambui had also told the court that she had been admitted at a city hospital since November 29 without providing medical documents as proof of her being unwell.
An attempt to have the arrest warrant lifted on Wednesday failed after the court declined to allow the request.
Mrs Mungai is being pursued over alleged unpaid taxes for supplying boots, uniforms and cereals to the military, among other government departments. She has also been listed among persons who supplied Kemsa KN95 face masks and surgical face masks for a tender worth Sh30.5 million.
During the court appearance on Thursday, they requested to be released on a cash bail not exceeding Sh5 million each.
The prosecution, however, opposed the application saying Mrs Mungai was a potential flight risk and a fugitive of justice. During Wednesday night's aborted arrest at Weston Hotel, police found a temporary permit for the Republic of Zambia in her bag.
They were freed on Sh25 million cash bail each and ordered to surrender their travel documents.
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