Two ex-URA employees committed to High Court in sh800m bribery case

KAMPALA - Two former Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) employees accused of soliciting a bribe of shillings 800 million from a taxpayer have been committed to the High Court for trial.

The Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero, presided over by chief magistrate Rachael Nakyazze, committed URA supervisor Caroline Naggoli to stand trial in the High Court. She is charged alongside URA tax officer Benedict Sekaayi.

URA supervisor in charge of prosecution Davis Thomas Lomuria informed the court that investigations into the matter were complete and that the prosecution was ready to commit the accused to the High Court. However, the trial date is yet to be set.

According to court documents dated July 17, 2025, the prosecution, led by Lomuria, indicated it would rely on a digital forensic investigation report, email correspondence, minutes of meetings, a receipt book, an investigation report, and digital recordings as part of its evidence.

"The prosecution shall contend that the accused persons have no valid defence available to them and shall pray that they be convicted as indicted,” Lomuria said.

Both Naggoli and Sekaayi were given copies of the committal papers and other documents the prosecution intends to rely on during the trial.

The charges against the accused include offences of corruption and abuse of office, as stipulated in sections 2(a), 26, and 11(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 as amended. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in jail, while abuse of office attracts a sentence of seven years in jail or a fine not exceeding shillings 1.3 million or both.

Prosecution’s case

According to the prosecution, the alleged offences took place on March 30, 2023, at Guanghua Hotel in Kololo, Kampala.

It is alleged that Naggoli and Sekaayi, in the performance of their duties as a supervisor and URA officer, respectively, sought a bribe of shillings 800 million from Tong Jiao to reduce the tax liability from shillings 4.1 billion to 2.2 billion.

Furthermore, the prosecution alleges that Naggoli and Sekaayi abused their positions at URA by demanding bribe from Tong Jiao to reduce tax liability owed by Migoo and Trading Company Limited. The prosecution purports that the acts were prejudicial to the interests of URA. They denied all the charges and are out on bail.