West Kenya Sugar Company chairman Jaswant S. Rai (right) and managing
director Tejveer Rai (left) during a parliamentary joint committee
hearing. FILE PHOTO | NMG
West Kenya Sugar Company and Eastleigh-based Diamond Wholesalers
Thursday traded blame over the origin of 1,200 tonnes of contraband
sugar seized at the latter’s warehouse.
While appearing
before a joint committee of Parliament, West Kenya termed the Kabras
branded sugar as "fake," but Diamond Wholesalers claimed it bought the
impounded sweetener from West Kenya.
Kabras brand is produced by West Kenya, which has distanced itself from the packages seized in the police swoop.
Jaswant
Sing Rai, the chairman of West Kenya and his managing director Tejveer
Rai told MPs that the sugar was not packaged by their firm.
But Mr Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed, the second-largest shareholder of
Diamond Wholesalers was adamant that he purchased it from West Kenya.
Never imported
He said he has never imported sugar since incorporation of his company in 2004.
“Yes
my sugar was detained. I bought (it) from importers. I bought it from a
company known as Land Mark. I bought the sugar that was found in
packets of one or two kilogrammes from Kabras.
"I have
receipts and delivery notes that I will table,” he told the joint
committee investigating importation of contraband sugar, which is also
said to have been contaminated with copper and mercury.
Mr Rai and Mr Ahmed were testifying separately before the Agriculture and Trade committee.
Bulk sugar
Mr
Jaswant said the Rai Group applied to the Sugar Directorate at the
Ministry of Agriculture to import bulk brown sugar to address shortfall
the country faced in 2017.
“All this sugar was duly
licensed by the sugar directorate and received pre-shipment verification
from Kenya Bureau of Standards.
“Of the contraband sugar that has been impounded, none has been imported by Rai Group,” Mr Rai told MPs.
“Of the contraband sugar that has been impounded, none has been imported by Rai Group,” Mr Rai told MPs.
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