Billionaire businessman Mohan Galot is the owner of London Distillers Kenya (LDK) – one of the largest alcohol manufacturers in Kenya. He is easily among the wealthiest individuals in the country.
Galot hit the headlines on Sunday, July 17, 2022, after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) declined to withdraw forgery charges against the businessman and his wife, Santosh Galot according to a report by The Nation.
The ODPP asked the court to dismiss a petition filed by King Woolen Mills and Mohan Meakin Kenya Limited, both owned by Mohan Galot, seeking to have the forgery charges dropped.
The businessman has interests in several other companies. These include; Bounty Ltd, Galot International Ltd, King Woolen Mills Ltd, Dyno Holdings Ltd, Mohan Meakin Ltd, Galot Industries Ltd, Manchester Outfitters Ltd among others.
LDK boasts over 25 liquor brands of whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, rum, and the unique Safari Cane and liqueurs. Its brands Safari Cane and Old Monk Rum made global headlines after meeting international standards of quality at the Monde Selection Awards in Brussels, Belgium.
Forgery Case
Galot and his wife Santosh have a forgery case against them in court. They were accused of forging signatures which they used to transfer prime land in Nairobi.
In what came as a sigh of relief to them then, the charges against them were dropped on grounds that the allegations were not enough to prosecute. However, according to a report by the Star, the DPP pressed fraud charges against Galot’s nephews Pravin Galot and Rajesh Galot.
The two were accused of forging signatures of officials at the ministry of lands. However, they also roped their uncle into the case by accusing him of forging the signatures of directors of Galot industries while transferring 3 plots to MGK Park Ltd.
Milimani Law Courts Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo dismissed the case, noting that they are all part of one family.
Mohan Galot and Santosh were released on a Ksh500,000 cash bail each after they were charged with eight counts of forgery in 2014.
Tax Evasion Case
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on July 21, 2021, charged Mohan Galot with 18 counts of tax evasion amounting to Ksh2.5 billion.
According to the Nation, the taxman accused LDK of economic sabotage for failing to pay taxes despite being profitable the years before.
The charges brought by KRA were approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Galot and the directors of the company were accused of creating fraud scheme to evade taxes.
“Investigations revealed that the businessman and his company were involved in a scheme of gross underreporting of production and sales volumes and also purchase of packaging materials through associated companies,” the prosecution stated.
According to the charge sheet, Galot and his company failed to pay excise duty, Value Added Tax on locally manufactured spirits, and corporation taxes between January 2016 and December 2019.
Galot was released on a Ksh1 million bond and the case was again mentioned on August 9, 2021.
Cars
The billionaire boasts a fleet of luxurious cars, some of which have been spotted cruising Nairobi roads.
Galot owns two of the most luxurious cars in the world; a bentley with custom registration plates S G 1 alleged to represent Santosh Galot, and a Rolls Royce Ghost 2014 with plate initials MG 1 said to be an abbreviation of Mohan Galot.
The Rolls Royce Ghost has a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that produces 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. The beast has an eight-speed automatic transmission, and accelerates from 0km/h to 100Km/h in just 4.9 seconds.
It has stability and traction control, antilock brakes, active front head restraints, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. It also has active air suspension, front and rear parking sensors, keyless ignition and entry, adaptive cruise control, heated front and rear seats, four-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system and a satellite radio.
According to reports, the Rolls Royce Ghost can cost up to Ksh30 million.
