32 cars ‘missing from inspection firm’s database’

Inspection certificates for 32 cars were not in the database of a firm contracted to inspect imported vehicles on behalf of the bureau of standards, a court heard.

The certificates were not on the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre (Jevic) website, Mr Stephen Mboloi, a Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) officer, told the court.

Mr Mboloi, who was testifying in a case in which four Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers alongside three other people face a vehicle import scandal charge, said Jevic usually posted the certificates immediately after inspection.

“I entered the chassis numbers for the 32 vehicles and found they were not reflected on the website,” said Mr Mboloi, who was the Kebs operations manager at the port of Mombasa when the vehicles were imported.

Mombasa chief magistrate Rosemelle Mutoka was told that the witness tested two other certificates which he had picked randomly and found that the Jevic system was operational.

The KRA officers are Mr Stephen Karuma, Mr Geoffrey Maina, Mr David Muli and Mr Stephen Muriithi.

Their co-accused are importers and clearing agents Peter Odhiambo, Yuda Venant and Chrispus Zenge.

The KRA officers are accused of making false customs entries to allow the release of 32 imported vehicles that were over the prescribed age of eight years. They are also accused of abuse of office.

The offences were allegedly committed between July 1 and 4, 2009.

Mr Odhiambo, Mr Venant and Mr Zenge are alleged to have disobeyed the code of practice for inspection of vehicles by importing and clearing the 32 overage cars.

The case was adjourned to August 2.