The alleged VAT returns fraud involving some managers within the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has continued to shake the nation.
The tax body is embroiled in a mind-boggling heist as it’s ledgers were vandalized in a rather unbelievable manner involving one of the top officers. (Read our story-#Forgery Rocks URA Accounts As Top Boss Manipulates Ledger Deletes Billions In VAT Returns For Juicy Investor)
Fresh details suggest that preliminary investigations indicate that one of the syndicate members allegedly acquired several plots of land in Namugongo area within a space of just hours.
In addition, the top officer is said to have amassed a line of properties in form of Supermarkets.
“He bought seven plots along Najjeera-Namugongo road at once. He also has a chain of supermarkets around Luzira. This is in addition to several other properties spread across upcountry cities and a pallantial residence. We have all this information as the investigation goes on into this scandalous behavior involving some of the officers” explained an inspector.
This News site yesterday broke a story to the effect that URA had been rocked by a serious scandal involving (so far) one of its top officers identified as Francis Wodero.
Wodero is accused of tampering with URA ledgers and allegedly Manipulated it to delete some VAT taxes demanded from one of the top companies called Service and Computer Industries (U) Limited. The VAT returns were for the months of August 2014 and April 2015 although the alleged scandal was committed in 2021.
The company according to the charges against Wodero by URA Staff Compliance Office indicated that the man from Sironko district used his position while working in Large Taxpayers Office to manipulate and adjusted the VAT returns for this company. Although URA memo summoning him wasn’t express on the exact figure government lost, our inspectors said the actual loss was about Shs10bn. It is this figure which (possibly after manipulation) reduced to Shs2.5bn and later to small millions of shillings.
The officer (Wodero) who is said to be the mastermind of this racket within the tax body was last week (April 23) secretly subjected to intense grilling by URA Compliance Office following summons by acting Human Resource Manager Jimmy Okuja.
The grilling session was also attended by a top commissioner of police. He’s currently living on borrowed freedom as he is expected to reappear in two weeks time. Our Inspectors however, said the net is closing in on other guns within the entity. Watch this space!
