Keroche Breweries Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tabitha Karanja has been charged afresh over Kes14.5 billion in tax returns.

Karanja appeared before Milimani senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu and denied 10 counts of tax evasion.

This comes after the prosecution asked for the charges to be changed, claiming that the 2019 charge sheet lacked some details.

The charge sheet alleges that between February 20, 2015, and January 20, 2016, the defendant and the corporation reduced their excise duty by Kes1.8 billion while making illegally false claims in their excise duty returns.

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She also gave false information on the January to December 2017 forms, which had a Kes3.6 billion impact on the payable excise duty.

The defendants allegedly illegally concealed information from their VAT forms for January through June between February 20 and July 20, which increased their VAT liability by Kes196 million.

In addition, Tabitha was charged with misapplying excise duty rates on Vienna Ice by using Kes27.06 instead of Kes175, which reduced her excise duty liability by Kes1, 855, 403, 900, which was due to the commissioner by the Excise Duty Act.

However, the defence told the judge they preferred to resolve the case outside of court.

"We have already initiated the process of settling the matter with KRA and if court allows, we wish to have the matter settled," the court was told.

A KRA representative in court said the office has no intention to have the matter settled out of court since they have not received any information.

In line with Section 109 of the Tax Procedures Act, the court was told that the application should be addressed to the commissioner in writing.

However, the magistrate gave Tabitha 45 days to initiate the ADR process failure to which the matter will proceed to full trial.