The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) paid nearly Shs2.9 billion ($794,400) to two ghost informers who had helped the taxman recover approximately Shs32 billion from Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL).
However, an investigation has uncovered a number of syndicated actions. These include altering informer reference numbers and codes, concealing documents and information, and falsifying and altering documents on the part of a number of URA staff.
Some of the implicated staff members are at the level of commissioner. One of them is Dicksons Kateshumbwa, a lawmaker for Sheema Municipality, who worked as commissioner of Domestic Taxes at the time of the payments.
Since the reward amount is subject to tax, Air Force 1, one of the ghost informers, took home Shs1,770,729,994, and the other ghost informer, Black Cob, received Shs1,099,574,655.
However, the payments have raised allegations of fraud, collusion, and exploitation of the weaknesses in the informer management and reward process. More than 10 URA staff members were involved in facilitating the payments.
The Commissioner General of URA had commissioned an investigation into the decline in taxes collected on beer in May 2014, which led to the recovery of just under Shs18.9 billion from UBL.
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