Five charged with making false statements, causing URA Shs5b tax loss
The five employees of Riders Uganda Limited facing three charges of making false statements that caused URA tax loss of over Shs5 billion being led to the court cells on July 26, 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA.
What you need to know:
- According to the charge sheet, Muli, Drakuma, Kioko and Namwanje between July 2015 and June 2021 in Kampala being the directors and accountants respectively of Riders Uganda Limited, for the purposes of evading tax, knowingly made a false statement to a tax officer to wit sales as declared monthly Value Added Tax (VAT) for the period of July 2015 to June 2021 amounting to over Shs13 billion instead of Shs26 billion, thus causing URA a financial loss in VAT of over Shs2.54 billion.
Five company employees have been charged with three counts of making false statements to a tax officer which reportedly cost Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Shs5 billion in unpaid taxes.
They include two Riders Uganda Limited directors, Pius Mwilili Muli and Richard Drakuma.
They were arraigned in the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on Wednesday alongside three company accountants; Obadiah Kioko, Betty Namwanje and Stephen Kasenge.
According to the charge sheet, Muli, Drakuma, Kioko and Namwanje between July 2015 and June 2021 in Kampala being the directors and accountants respectively of Riders Uganda Limited, for the purposes of evading tax, knowingly made a false statement to a tax officer to wit sales as declared monthly Value Added Tax (VAT) for the period of July 2015 to June 2021 amounting to over Shs13 billion instead of Shs26 billion, thus causing URA a financial loss in VAT of over Shs2.54 billion.
In the second count, it’s alleged that Muli, Drakuma, Kioko, Namwanje and Kasenge in the same year and months declared annual sales amounting to over Shs4 billion instead of over Shs26 billion hence causing URA a tax loss in income tax of over Shs1.45 billion.
It is also alleged in the third count that Muli, Drakuma, Kioko and Namwanje in the same year and months for purposes of evading tax declared PAYE amounting to over Shs671 million instead of over Shs1 billion hence causing URA a taxi loss of over Shs1.16 billion.
The accused denied all the charges read by the court’s grade one Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe before applying for bail.
The accused’s lawyer Isaac Walukaga, told court that his clients are still presumed innocent until proven guilty, the offenses against them are bailable, they are family people and responsible citizens, among others.
Additionally, Mr Walukaga told court that his clients have fixed places of abode with substantial sureties presented in court.
Consequently, the magistrate asked each of the accountants to deposit with court Shs5 million cash each while each of their sureties was bonded at Shs30 million, not cash.
The company directors were each ordered to deposit Shs20 million cash while each of their sureties was bonded at Shs100 million not cash before the case was adjourned to August 15 for mention.
