It is now widely believed that President Kenyatta’s London based global PR consultant Tony Blair might be behind a series of publications in British newspaper The Independent touching on how the British American Tobacco Company (BAT) bribed KRA and top government officials to kill local competition (Mastermind Tobacco owned by a Meru businessman) and also influence legislation to guard its interests (tobacco industry)
Among the many allegations are those touching on key opposition leaders Moses Wetangula and Martha Karua for receiving bribes from the global tobacco giant British American Tobacco (BAT) to influence or frustrate legislation that could have had impact in the company’s operations and sales volumes in Kenya.
Top statehouse operatives are said to have influenced the publication of a series of articles relating to BAT bribery claims and even managed to secure screaming titles in the Nation Media and Star newspapers linking Prime Minister Raila Odinga to saga.
The desperate attempt by Statehouse and specifically Dennis Itumbi and the 36 state bloggers saw them publish agoverment official letter from the then acting permanent secretary Andrew Mondoh to Kenya Revenue Authority requesting an arbitration between Mastermind Tobacco a local franchise owned by a Meru based business, KRA and Finance/Treasury officials (Uhuru was minister for Finance)
KRA officials had received bribes from British American Tobacco (BAT) in order to frustrate the local/Kenyan Mastermind tobacco company. The letter is very clear of what the intention of the meeting was between Prime Minister’s office (specifically Deputy PM and minister for Finance-Treasury), KRA and Mastermind Tobacco.
After Itumbi shared the letter here are some of the harsh feedback he got, Kenyans are no fools anyomore, they can read and understand basic English>>>
Bobby Bobants: The meeting was held between KRA, Mastermind and Uhuru Kenyatta who was the Finance minister and the head of Treasury by then.
How much did Uhuru pay Tony Blair to come up with such tasteless propaganda?
Philip Etale: I find nothing wrong with the letter for it calls for tripartite talks. Jubilee government is desperate to shift attention from corruption that has engulfed it. Honestly IGNORANCE HAS NO DEFENCE
Allan Muthiga: I am not happy by the way Itumbi is taking advantage of some people’s ignorance (or his own inability to understand things quickly). Business daily misled us with a screaming headline, but we understand why. Now we have here the President’s mouth piece who advertently advertises his cheap mind to the public. Your responsibility should be to focus on making Kenya better, not engaging in diversionary tactics
Eric Arap Koskei: hehehe you never cease to amaze. why can’t you focus on actions rather than useless talk? do you know that you guys are in power and are answerable to the citizens? discrediting Raila is NOT part of the job description we the Kenyan people gave you. fanya kazi, pang’ang’a baadaye
Kevin S Okello: Little education is very dangerous .So this idiot here did not know that his boss Uhuru Kenyatta was the minister of finance and head of the treasury during this period . Dennis Itumbi A
Sp Omanga :>> Dennis Itumbi, tell us, is BAT a government body to direct KRA to action against a Kenyan competitor? How gave BAT the investigative authority? How much did the finance minister and KRA then receive to to institute a move against Mastermind?
And finally, give us something on Europound.
Some people are so thick and confused of facts.
Mukuru Wa Kimeruu Machumaa: KRA can only be paid the tax due ,anything else extra is illegal and aggrieved parties have rights to seek help from the government and that is what mastermind did then ,How did BAT got hold of the information ? not from KRA corrupt officials ?you have forgotten to tell Kenyans that BAT was using KRA officials to undermine master mind by billing it with no existent taxes ,so the letter by Hon Raila then PM was valid and within the law
Justus Atuti: Dennis Itumbi, tell us about the eurobond. I know English is hard for you to read and understand. You can use kikuyu.
Ken Ambula: ” Put on hold the enforcement action you had instituted against Mastermind Tobacco Kenya Limited, in order to facilitate review of the matter…..”
How does that amount to denying KRA revenue? That’s an official communication and not political intrigues. ..remember then, RAO was the supervisor of government functions. I believe the meeting was to set up some payment plan of sorts. From the letter, the meeting was scheduled between to organizations I.e KRA and Mastermind Tobacco at KRA’s premises. Whatever you are trying to spin won’t wash…In short, Jubilee is in power. Institute legal proceedings against RAO. Just thinking aloud, are you really a student of LAW?
In reality, RAO was trying to shield Mastermind Tobacco from being brought to its knees by the corrupt KRA officials. We know the same twisted and evil players have been working tooth and nail to bring Keroche breweries down. That aside, I am interested to see how RAO benefited directly from any corrupt deals. You know in your heart of hearts that you are lying just to divert people’s attention from the EUROBOND saga..
Peter Mwenda: Dennis Itumbi I sometimes pity your reasoning.Raila kila SAA na husemi chochote. pesa ya Eurobond ilitumika wapi?
Joab Mehta :This Dennis Itumbi guy is so empty. He’s young enough to put logic into issues, but what u get from him is just bones. Even JJ Kamotho was a better propagandist under Moi…
James Wachai “The BBC investigation has on tape various actors on the employ of BAT admitting that they paid KRA managers “a shed load of money” to make tax demands, presumably against a local competitor. This, for me, is the worst claim of corruption there is. It stands to reason that if you can use KRA to shake down your opponents, you can use it to avoid tax
James Wachai: Dennis Itumbi – BAT gave dirty money to KRA officials so that they could make illegal tax demands to Mastermind, an indigenous company fully owned by a Kenyan. The goal of the scheme was to incapacitate Mastermind. In a situation like this which side, as a patriotic Kenyan, would you stand?
Bill Onyango: Denis itumbi,kisungu ndio ngumu Ama?,can u get the facts about the letter?,”you requested to put on hold “,what do u understand about that statement?,”meeting to discuse the issue is scheduled at treasury between KRA ,Treasury,Masyermind”,my question is what do u understand in that statement?
Simon Kamau: Dennis Itumbi Re-read the wording ” Put on hold the enforcement action you had instituted against Mastermind Tobacco Kenya Limited, in order to facilitate review of the matter…..”
How does that amount to denying KRA revenue? That’s an official communication Mr Dennis
You are just embarrassing your Govt and yourself am sure if you bosses happen to see such post will send you home
BAT had bribed KRA officials to demand bogus taxes from Mastermind. Paul, the whistle blower, has already said this.But besides that how would Raila Amollo was benefitting?
He was protecting the local company against corrupt multinational BAT
Again why are you not posting names of MPs who were frequently taken to trips in msa by BAT to bring down masterminds Co.ltd. And are you able to authenticate the letter ? Supost samebody said there was no communication btwn treasury and Agwambo si utabakia kwa mataa. Dennis no any amounts of fishing letters will make kenyans forget Eurobond
Nahashon Mutea: After BAT bribed everybody they were now using the kra to try and destroy indigenous competition using exagerated tax claims same way monopoly breweries destroyed thika based castle beer. We thank the former pm for timely intervention. Itumbi shame on you. Don’t waste time digging into decades old archives. We are interested in the present and future! Kinoti Kiriamiti you may enlighten us on this?
Mutuma Kibang’a: Onslaught on Kenyan legitimate entrepreneurs continues. Give up a share of business or we unleash the KRA DOG. Ask Tabitha Karanja of Keroche, Nakumatt and now Mastermind. Let people be. RAO was right here.
Moha Mutinda Malonza: The Deputy PM, the current president,to whom KRA and its Commissioners are answerable to, was thus unable to establish and ensure the independence of the KRA if any of the above ever happened. This is the same thing he’s unable to do even to date as President.
Kituku Mumo Is there a page 2 where the PM actually directs KRA to completely stop the exercise of tax collection? Where are the contents of the PM’s phone call? Who was at treasury then? Where was the country’s CEO when all this was allegedly happening?
FOLLOW the CONVERSATION on Dennis Itumbi’s wall, see how he was roasted by his own stronghold Mt Kenya supporters>>>
For the record the Former PM actually directly intervened to stop action on Mastermind.He made a call to KRA boss to deny Kenya revenue.#TheFactsKE
Posted by Dennis Itumbi on Tuesday, December 22, 2015
The post HOW STATEHOUSE move to SOIL Raila name on KRA and BAT Bribery BACKFIRED appeared first on Kenya Today.
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