URA nets racket dealing in forged customs documents

A curious money lender who demanded for documentary proof of identity before transacting a deal has led Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to what has been described as a network of people that forge import documents.

Edward Ddamulira, 54, a resident of Makindye Division in Kampala who describes himself as an importer of Santa Lucia spaghetti from Tanzania and two others have since been arrested and handed over to Police.

The trio were nabbed on Tuesday by URA enforcement for allegedly possessing a PB4 assessment (customs) form.

According to Agnes Nabwire Waiswa, the assistant commissioner in charge of enforcement, the others suspects are Arthur Kananura, 35 and Samuel Mugisha, 32.

The trio was paraded on Wednesday before journalists at the URA headquarters in Kampala after they allegedly planned to defraud sh25m from money lender Joshua Ojiambo from Kamwokya.

"Ddamulira and his team wanted sh25m claiming they were going to clear with URA to release their impounded goods at Mutukula Border," said Nabwire .

According to URA, Ojiambo demanded that Ddamulira present for identification, bank account details and URA documents before the transaction could be approved.

Ddamulira presented a forged PB4 assessment, National ID, Driving License and a land title of plot 247 block 424 in Busiro, Wakiso District.

Ojiambo, who wanted to guarantee security for his money, sent all the documents to URA for verification who later tipped him that they were all forged documents.

The investigators have since revealed that the PB4 assessment forms existed at URA but in the names of another client.

National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and Face Technologies were requested by URA to verify both the National ID and driving license who notified URA that they were all forgeries.

According to URA, Kananura participated as a guarantor who issued a post-dated cheque to Ojiambo to serve as security.

The trio will face charges of use of false customs documents according to the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004 and forgery referring to the Penal Code Act CAP 120.