By Eunice Machuhi
In Summary
- Acting county secretary Hamisi Mwaguya said the purported clearance certificate issued to Magnate Ventures Ltd is not provided for and is, therefore, invalid and was obtained in collusion to defraud the county of revenue from advertising.
- He said this in reply to an application for contempt filed by Outdoor Advertisers Association against the county after some of its billboards and other advertising signage were pulled down despite a court order issued last year restraining the move.
- The advertisers had claimed in the contempt suit that the county served Magnate Ventures with a notice on November 14 demanding the payment of advertising fee arrears of Sh35,473,926 and directed the removal of its advertising devices by December 13.
The Mombasa county government has accused an
outdoor advertiser of irregularly obtaining a clearance certificate in
respect to advertising fee arrears.
Acting county secretary Hamisi Mwaguya said the
purported clearance certificate issued to Magnate Ventures Ltd is not
provided for and is, therefore, invalid and was obtained in collusion to
defraud the county of revenue from advertising.
He said this in reply to an application for
contempt filed by Outdoor Advertisers Association against the county
after some of its billboards and other advertising signage were pulled
down despite a court order issued last year restraining the move.
The advertisers said the county went against a
court order issued on October 28 last year suspending any removal of all
erected signage. The same was extended on November 9, 2013.
They want the court to direct the County Police
Commander to offer protection against any removal or destruction of
erected advertising signage, structures and devices pending the hearing
of the current motion.
However, Mr Mwaguya denied claims that the county
government had disobeyed or violated court orders or authorised
destruction and removal of the billboards.
He also denied that he procured the release from custody of those involved in the destruction or authorised the exercise.
The advertisers had claimed in the contempt suit
that the county served Magnate Ventures with a notice on November 14
demanding the payment of advertising fee arrears of Sh35,473,926 and
directed the removal of its advertising devices by December 13.
Laura Kenyani, the legal officer of the
advertising association, said the demand was made despite the fact that
there were no advertising fee arrears.
But Mr Mwaguya said that the advertising company
owed the county millions of shillings as at December 31 and that the
clearance certificate obtained was calculated to conceal the number of
advertising signage put up in the county.
No comments :
Post a Comment