DIRECTORATE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS (DCI) SUMMON 600 KRA OFFICERS TO RECORD STATEMENTS USING MPESA TRANSACTIONS

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers are using money transfer data obtained from mobile phone companies to gather watertight cases against business people and officers at KRA

DCI boss Mr. Kinoti on the right

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) members of staff are a worried lot after it emerged that the government through the DCI issued summons to 600 people to appear before the officers on Kiambu road to record statements. 

The summons issued to both KRA officers and some business people requires them to record statements regarding suspicious Mpesa transactions involving huge amounts of money between the officers and individuals within the business community. The hardest hammer blow seems to have fallen on Somali business people who account for most of the issued summons; they seem to prefer sending money to KRA officers by Mpesa.  

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers are using money transfer data obtained from mobile phone companies to gather watertight cases against business people and officers at KRA especially those stationed at the Customs and Large taxpayers departments. 

Mobile phone companies had earlier cited privacy violations in sharing mobile money transactions details but it now appears that the DCI managed to obtain those details through alternative means. Other agencies such as Kenya Power, banks, the National Transport and Safety Authority as well as other records officers aligned to individual and company economic activities have been sharing data with the KRA.

 The Weekly Vision understands that some KRA officers have skipped visiting their offices for the last one week by faking illness while others opted to go on leave after learning about the summons.