A Nairobi court has issued a warrant of arrest against Mohan Galot, the chairman of London Distillers Kenya (LDK), in connection with an ongoing forgery case.
The warrant was issued on April 1 by Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego after the prosecution informed the court that Galot had failed to appear in court as directed in criminal case number 276 of 2018.
Efforts to locate Galot, according to the prosecution, have been unsuccessful. His legal team, however, stated that he is currently undergoing medical treatment in London and was therefore unable to attend court.
His son, Avin Galot, who also serves as a director at LDK, criticized the court’s decision, claiming that the magistrate ignored a medical report explaining his father’s condition.
Galot is accused of forging the signatures of public officers at the Registrar of Companies in an attempt to manipulate company records. He has continually denied the accusations, claiming that the case was engineered by his relatives, Pravin Galot and Rajesh Galot, as part of a long-standing family feud aimed at removing him from the family’s business empire.
His legal team is reportedly preparing to contest the arrest warrant, which comes just months after Galot lost a High Court bid to halt the criminal proceedings entirely.
This latest development adds to Galot’s mounting legal troubles. In October 2024, the High Court dismissed his appeal in a tax dispute that had lasted over 17 years. The case involved a claim for a Ksh1.78 million refund from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) after Galot imported a Range Rover from the United Kingdom. Justice Alfred Mabeya upheld earlier rulings by the Customs and Excise Appeal Tribunal, stating that KRA’s refusal to refund the money was lawful under the East Africa Customs Management Act.
Mohan Galot is one of Kenya’s wealthiest businessmen, heading an expansive portfolio of companies. LDK, which he chairs, is among the country’s largest alcohol manufacturers, producing over 25 liquor brands including Safari Cane and Old Monk Rum—both of which have received international accolades.
