Kasese businessman shot by URA officials

A prominent businessman in Kasese district is nursing bullet wounds after he was allegedly shot by law enforcement officials who suspected him of smuggling goods into Uganda. According to Police, Mr. Boaz Begumanya, the director Parental Care School, and Skyline Petrol station in Kasese town was shot at on Saturday night on at Lwemibuza along Kasese-Mbarara high way.

The businessman was allegedly shot at by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officials who suspected him to be carrying smuggled goods in his car. Rwenzori East Regional Police spokesperson Mr. Vincent Twesige confirmed the incident.
He said the injured businessman deliberately refused to stop at URA check points where law enforcement officials had ordered him to and undergo a check up.

"It is true a suspected smuggler was shot at and injured by URA officials after Kikorongo junction on October 26 at around 9:30 between Kikorongo and Muhokya along Mbarara-Kasese Highway” Twesige said.
The 49-year old businessman who is said to have been shot and injured on the thigh, was driving a land cruiser Prado car registration number UBD 646 B.
Police said Mr. Begumanya was found carrying three bags of contraband goods from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Mr. Twesige, the suspect was tracked from Kabirizi along Bwera-Kikorongo road, stopped by URA Officials but refused to stop.
He was allegedly pursued until he reached at Kikorongo check point and he went on to bypass Kikorongo Police station until URA Officials shot at him.
A UPDF soldier attached to URA Mpondwe Branch shot some Bullets on air for him to stop but he refused to stop. He then hit at the tyre and when the car stopped found, the businessman was already injured on his thigh and was rushed to Kilembe hospital. He said Police and URA officials who visited the scene discovered some bags of suspected smuggled goods and recovered money Shs 1.8 million which was handed over to Mr Moses Kabagambe, the brother of the victim.
The items and the motor vehicle were taken to Mpondwe URA Branch in Kasese District. Police investigations into the incident are at hand under reference GEF 01/10/2019 at Katwe Kabatoro Police station. According to the Kilembe hospital administrator Mr. Onismus Kibaya , Mr. Begumanya was taken to the hospital while bleeding as a result of bullet wounds. The bullet was still stuck in his right thigh, by press time. "Thank God that doctors and surgeons did their best to save his life and as I speak now his survival rate stands at 99%" Kibaya said.
Mr. Begumanya refused to talk to press on record about what exactly happened only insisting that the press waits for the outcomes of the investigation.