Patiala has written to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) through their lawyer Danstan Omari seeking to have an action taken against officers who destroyed their products.
They want the government body to take action against police officers who stood and watched as the legislators and residents broke bottles and spilt brands of liquor they produced.
The company management says that Under their leaders’ guidance, Nyeri residents destroyed at least 34,000 bottles of liquor valued at KSh 6 million. They seized the products from Mathira East Acting Deputy County Commissioner’s office on Monday, February 26.
The aggrieved managers told the media that they have all the documents required by the law to run such business and they are not ready to take in any intimidation from Politicians.
“The two Government officials stormed a police station and destroyed our alcohol products that were seized by officers for allegedly killing people,” they added.
They say the two politicians should be arrested and charged with malicious damage to property.
In a letter written to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission “EACC” through the companies’ Danstan Omari, Patiala Company is accusing the two politicians for destroying the products that were yet to be tested by the government agencies for allegedly killing people in the region.
“I have been instructed to write a letter to the EACC to investigate the conduct of the two politicians who mobilize residents in Nyeri to a police station taking away products belonging to my clients company, this is against the law and action needs to be taken “Said Omari.
Omari added that he will be moving to court to sue the two politicians for defamation for allegedly destroying the image of the company by saying that it’s selling counterfeit products in central.
He also told journalists at the press conference that he will write another letter to the Independent Police Oversight Authority “IPOA” to investigate the conduct of all the police officers who were present during the raid.
“We are yet to know how did the community and the two politicians invaded a police station that is well manned with tight security and we’ll trained police officers be attached, took away company’s products and destroy them, police are supposed to protect people’s property and not to support hooligans at the station” Said Omari.
During the visit to the company’s headquarters, members of the press led by the management were taken through the process of manufacturing alcohol products; they were also shown all the certified government documents that were awarded to Patiala Company before it was granted permission to operate 15 years ago.
The highly seasoned advocate also took a swipe at the deputy president Rigathi Gachagua for politicizing the issue of Alcohol in the Mt Kenya regional by fighting small business entities.
“I want to ask the deputy president Rigathi Gachagua protect the small businesses as they promised during the swearing in with the president Dr William Ruto,you can’t kill small businesses in the name of fighting alcohol yet the same business has employed many Kenyans at the same time it’s paying billions of taxes since its inception “Said Omari.
The residents on Monday led by area lawmaker Eric Wamumbi and Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga staged the raid at the Deputy County Commissioners’ Office citing concern that the liquor may be clandestinely released into the market.
Police had seized the condemned alcohol during an operation in Karatina town labeling the brand of the confiscated alcohol as counterfeit.
The company displayed to journalists all the machines, even those that measure a PH and those that regulate the required standard of alcohols in human beings’ bodies.
They have denied claims that their products are killing people saying that they even have even samples of every alcohol they produce.
