Detectives questioned billionaire Humphrey Kariuki over his undeclared Cypriot citizenship.
As they grilled him over tax evasion, the officers were taken by surprise last evening after it emerged that he is a citizen of Cyprus. The realisation further complicates their attempts to unravel the shareholding structure of his various firms.
It emerged that Mr Kariuki was questioned on the dual citizenship and on why he had not disclosed it as required by law.
Besides his Kenyan passport, Mr Kariuki travels on a Cyrus passport, number K0627485, issued on May 19, 2016.
While Kenyans have a right to become dual citizens, the Citizenship and Immigration Act declares that “every dual citizen shall disclose his or her other citizenship in the prescribed manner within three months of becoming a dual citizen”.
The law further says a citizen who fails to disclose the dual citizenship … “commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.”
“We are questioning him on that issue since failure to declare dual citizenship is an offence,” Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said.
Asked whether Mr Kariuki will be charged in court, Mr Kinoti retorted: “Why not? This is an offence.”
Yesterday evening, officials from the Department of Immigration handed over Mr Kariuki’s file to investigators as it emerged that the tycoon could end up in court over his Cyprus papers.