Army officer fined for smuggling
Nov 07, 2006
NAKAWA Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday found a UPDF officer guilty of smuggling.
By Peter Kaujju
NAKAWA Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday found a UPDF officer guilty of smuggling.
Deo Nzeimana, the Chief Magistrate, gave a pick-up truck, a Toyota Sahara registration number UAE 344D belonging to Col. Mbuga Kojja, to the Government.
Another Nissan pick-up truck belonging to Charles Wampamba, also a UPDF officer, is still being held by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The URA enforcement team seized the cars in Jinja.
“One of the pick-ups carrying smuggled bales of polythene bags from Kenya destined for Kampala has been forfeited to the state.
“One Toyota Sahara registration number UAE 344D belonged to Col. Mbuga was forfeited while the other, a Nissan pick-up registration number UAB 958S belonging to Wampamba, is still held at URA,†a source said.
The source said the officers had claimed that the polythene bags were destined for Mbuya Military Hospital yet they ended up on the market.
The source said after pleading guilty, Mbuga paid a fine of sh0.5m but Wampamba denied any wrongdoing and was sent to Luzira Prison for one year.
URA recently started prosecuting tax evaders as one of the means to recover revenue.
The action brings the number of forfeited vehicles to three in less than two weeks.
URA officials said they would continue with the measure to recover revenue and discourage the practice.
Polythene bags attract excise duty of 50%, 18% Value Added Tax, 6% withholding tax and 25% import duty. they are high on the list of most smuggled items into Uganda.
NAKAWA Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday found a UPDF officer guilty of smuggling.
Deo Nzeimana, the Chief Magistrate, gave a pick-up truck, a Toyota Sahara registration number UAE 344D belonging to Col. Mbuga Kojja, to the Government.
Another Nissan pick-up truck belonging to Charles Wampamba, also a UPDF officer, is still being held by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The URA enforcement team seized the cars in Jinja.
“One of the pick-ups carrying smuggled bales of polythene bags from Kenya destined for Kampala has been forfeited to the state.
“One Toyota Sahara registration number UAE 344D belonged to Col. Mbuga was forfeited while the other, a Nissan pick-up registration number UAB 958S belonging to Wampamba, is still held at URA,†a source said.
The source said the officers had claimed that the polythene bags were destined for Mbuya Military Hospital yet they ended up on the market.
The source said after pleading guilty, Mbuga paid a fine of sh0.5m but Wampamba denied any wrongdoing and was sent to Luzira Prison for one year.
URA recently started prosecuting tax evaders as one of the means to recover revenue.
The action brings the number of forfeited vehicles to three in less than two weeks.
URA officials said they would continue with the measure to recover revenue and discourage the practice.
Polythene bags attract excise duty of 50%, 18% Value Added Tax, 6% withholding tax and 25% import duty. they are high on the list of most smuggled items into Uganda.