URA staff riches shock Ssebutinde
Dec 03, 2002
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) probe commission was yesterday shocked by the massive wealth allegedly amassed by the URA staff in the course of their duties.
By Milton Olupot
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) probe commission was yesterday shocked by the massive wealth allegedly amassed by the URA staff in the course of their duties.
A number of the tax body’s staff questioned yesterday had not declared posh houses, cars and pieces of land.
Robert Wizera, a revenue officer and Leo Orisinga, a senior revenue officer, failed to explain most of their wealth before the commission chaired by Justice Julia Ssebutinde.
“Are all these Pajeros yours? What do you do with them? Where did you get all this US$50,000, this is a lot of money even by American standards,†a shocked commissioner, James Kahooza, asked the officers.
Joy Twine, a junior revenue officer who earns sh450,000 salary per month, has a lavish building registered in her name in Kisugu/Muyenga, Kampala up-market suburbs.
The building fetches her sh800,000 per month. But she said the house belongs to her sister who lives in America.
She also owns a four-house estate in Mbuya, another posh Kampala suburb, but she said it belonged to her late husband, John Mubangizi.
Twine also denied knowledge of a fleet of cars reportedly registered in her name. She said she did not own a car.
Wizera, with a take-home pay of sh1.5m, could not satisfactorily explain the source of $50,000 he invested in a Dubai-based motor spares company, Kilimanjaro Trading Agency.
He denied any interest in the company. He said he only lent a friend the money to start the company. The money was from personal savings. He said he was an unlicensed moneylender.
He also owns a sh165m house and another sh190m house in Upper Naguru, a posh Kampala suburb. One of the houses goes for $2,000 in rent per month. He conceded that he had never paid rental tax for any of the houses and had not declared the rental income.
Wizera said he got his money through speculation in business, money lending and other trading activities.
He owns two Mitsubishi Pajeros and a Toyota Corona, which he said he acquired out of his personal savings. Commissioner James Kahooza challenged Wizera to show how he managed to accumulate the money.
Wizera failed to explain but insisted that the commission was only “looking at the fruits on the tree and forgetting to look at the stem and the roots.â€
“I have worked hard all my life. I am not a thief. I am not corrupt. I know these are my workmates; they are jealous. People do not want to see you prospering. They don’t like it,†he said angrily.
Orisinga of the domestic tax department owns a sh45m house in Kasasiro zone Luzira, Kampala, a bakery, Fine Bread Bakery and a dry-cleaning business, Fine Services.
Orisinga denied ownership of Fine Services. He owns a fleet of cars: a Mitsubishi Pajero, a Suzuki, a Mitsubishi Canter, a Toyota Hilux, an Isuzu, a Corolla, a Hiace and a Nissan Bluebird.
Most were not declared.
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) probe commission was yesterday shocked by the massive wealth allegedly amassed by the URA staff in the course of their duties.
A number of the tax body’s staff questioned yesterday had not declared posh houses, cars and pieces of land.
Robert Wizera, a revenue officer and Leo Orisinga, a senior revenue officer, failed to explain most of their wealth before the commission chaired by Justice Julia Ssebutinde.
“Are all these Pajeros yours? What do you do with them? Where did you get all this US$50,000, this is a lot of money even by American standards,†a shocked commissioner, James Kahooza, asked the officers.
Joy Twine, a junior revenue officer who earns sh450,000 salary per month, has a lavish building registered in her name in Kisugu/Muyenga, Kampala up-market suburbs.
The building fetches her sh800,000 per month. But she said the house belongs to her sister who lives in America.
She also owns a four-house estate in Mbuya, another posh Kampala suburb, but she said it belonged to her late husband, John Mubangizi.
Twine also denied knowledge of a fleet of cars reportedly registered in her name. She said she did not own a car.
Wizera, with a take-home pay of sh1.5m, could not satisfactorily explain the source of $50,000 he invested in a Dubai-based motor spares company, Kilimanjaro Trading Agency.
He denied any interest in the company. He said he only lent a friend the money to start the company. The money was from personal savings. He said he was an unlicensed moneylender.
He also owns a sh165m house and another sh190m house in Upper Naguru, a posh Kampala suburb. One of the houses goes for $2,000 in rent per month. He conceded that he had never paid rental tax for any of the houses and had not declared the rental income.
Wizera said he got his money through speculation in business, money lending and other trading activities.
He owns two Mitsubishi Pajeros and a Toyota Corona, which he said he acquired out of his personal savings. Commissioner James Kahooza challenged Wizera to show how he managed to accumulate the money.
Wizera failed to explain but insisted that the commission was only “looking at the fruits on the tree and forgetting to look at the stem and the roots.â€
“I have worked hard all my life. I am not a thief. I am not corrupt. I know these are my workmates; they are jealous. People do not want to see you prospering. They don’t like it,†he said angrily.
Orisinga of the domestic tax department owns a sh45m house in Kasasiro zone Luzira, Kampala, a bakery, Fine Bread Bakery and a dry-cleaning business, Fine Services.
Orisinga denied ownership of Fine Services. He owns a fleet of cars: a Mitsubishi Pajero, a Suzuki, a Mitsubishi Canter, a Toyota Hilux, an Isuzu, a Corolla, a Hiace and a Nissan Bluebird.
Most were not declared.