Uganda authorities are holding Kenya’s former Assistant Minister for Internal Security Stephen Tarus on allegations of smuggling gold into the country using forged documents.

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) says that Tarus, who is also a former MP and ambassador, forged export documents for 13kgs of gold valued at USD. 30,000 (KSh4.8 million), causing revenue loss to the Government of Uganda.

Tarus was on Wednesday, January 10 arraigned before an anti-corruption court presided over by Judge Esther Asiimwe.

Remanded to Uganda prison

Consequently, Tarus was remanded at Luzira Prison until January 18 where his case will be mentioned.

According to Stuart Ahebwa, URA’s prosecutor, the gold was destined to Dubai where one of the suspect’s clients, Kostbar International is based.

Kostbar is a company that designs and manufactures jewelry exclusively for trade.

Ahebwa also told the court that there is a big team behind this tax evasion scheme and so far only one person has been netted.

“It is a group and now we have only one person. The issue of them forging documents that they are working with URA also makes matters worse and it is also the reason we have arraigned Tarus in court,” Ahebwa added.

What does the law say?

According to East African Community Customs Management Act(EACCMA), a person who makes or uses false documents upon conviction, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding USD 10,000.

This means that if Tarus is found guilty, he will liable to these terms.

In URA, smuggling and fraud remain the top customs offences. For example, last year alone, URA recovered UGX132.77 billion through country wide enforcement operations while UGX130.50 billion was recovered through court arbitration and UGX174.64 billion through the Tax Investigations interventions.