By Kamugisha Allan Kabahweza
Milo Ali Mutebi, a 24-year old resident of Busia Municipality was arrested for impersonating a URA customs officer. The culprit was netted on Tuesday 22nd Nov 2022 in Busia Town.
Mutebi has for a while been boasting to unsuspecting locals and masquerading as a URA staff, flashing his fake identity card for all to see. His woes started when he failed to pay an accumulated bill for his stay at Passo Guest House, a renown lodging area in Busia.
According to the guesthouse proprietor Talame Martine, Mutebi had at the start of his stay informed him that he had been transferred from the URA Headquarters in Nakawa to Busia. As days went by, Mutebi made no effort to pay the bill but Talame was certain this “URA Officer” would settle his debt. A month later, the bill had accrued to UGX. 2,570,000. Despite several pleas to pay what he owed, Mutebi turned a deaf ear.
Unwilling to take anymore empty-promises, Talame decided to involve the area Local Council Chairman who swiftly alerted the URA Busia Customs Team and the Police. Mutebi was consequently handcuffed and placed under police custody.
While at the police station, Mutebi wrote an agreement committing to pay all the monies he owed the guesthouse however impersonating a URA officer is one offence that could not simply slide. URA’s Manager for Intelligence Col. Kaseti Wamundu, said Mutebi will be charged under section 198 of the East African Community Customs Management Act for assuming the character of a URA officer, and faces up to three years imprisonment. He added that the impersonator will be presented in Court once investigations are over.
Col. Kaseti warned that URA will not tolerate people who fake and use the authority’s identity cards and uniform to extort money from taxpayers. He called on taxpayers to be vigilant and report any suspicious persons immediately.
URA has registered two cases of impersonation this year alone. In October 2022, Wareba Muhammad, a resident of Mbale was arrested while trying to con a taxpayer of one-million. Wareba was charged for impersonation and sentenced to one year in prison by the Anti-Corruption Court.
