A Scottish businessman from Bathgate, West Lothian, is being pursued in Kenyan courts over a Ksh119 million (£709,000) debt owed to a major telecoms company. The suspect allegedly fled Kenya while his former company failed to settle outstanding payments.
Court documents reveal that the firm abandoned its Nairobi offices in 2016 after transferring all shares to a Seychelles-registered company. The telecoms provider claims the move was part of a scheme to allow the suspect and his business partner to evade responsibility for their debts.
The dispute stems from a 2006 network-sharing agreement between the suspect’s company and the telecoms giant. By 2016, the firm had begun defaulting on payments, prompting the legal action. In 2024, a Nairobi judge ordered the suspect and his co-director to return to Kenya, warning that they would be held “personally liable” if they continued to evade the courts.
Separately, the suspect was jailed for six years in March 2024 after being convicted alongside 19 others in a major UK VAT fraud, uncovered during a decade-long investigation. The scam involved trading metals, electrical goods, and telecoms equipment through a chain of companies while submitting fraudulent VAT claims.
His family has also faced legal consequences. His 41-year-old son received a 22-month suspended sentence for involvement in the fraud, while his wife was handed a two-year suspended sentence for laundering Ksh42 million (£250,000) through her personal accounts. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigations revealed that the family had enjoyed luxury trips to Florida holiday homes while the scheme was ongoing.
The Kenyan telecom company continues to pursue the Scottish businessman in court, emphasizing that the transfer of shares and abrupt exit from Nairobi was part of an elaborate plan to avoid paying the substantial debt.
Kenyan authorities have warned that anyone found aiding the suspect could also face legal action, as the case highlights the increasing cross-border enforcement of corporate debts.
