REVEALED: How Under Declaration Of Armoured Car Caused Bobi Wine’s Trouble

By Our Reporter

KAMPALA- SHIFTMEDIA- The controversy regarding Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine’s armoured car is far from over.

Apparently, it has emerged that the officials at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) were asleep as they declared the super monster ride.

These details are beginning to emerge after security intensified investigations on how the car was shipped into the country following a directive from Commander-in-Chief and President-Elect, Yoweri Museveni.

How the car was cleared into Uganda

In our investigations right from the customs at the Busia Uganda border, the ‘Toyota Monster” checked in the border post on Thursday 5th November 2020, registered under Kenyan license plate, KCY 550X Logbook number K3323207K in the names of Fauz Khalid, a Kenyan national. According to Customs Manager Busia, the car was issued a C32 for temporary import.

A C32 Temporary certificate is given for road vehicles imported or exported with the East African Community, under the EAC Bilateral agreements.

Two months after entry into Uganda, on Friday 8th January 2021 Khalid through his agent, Sabiti Abel, whom our scouts unearthed is the Director of Real-Time Global Cargo Handlers Uganda Ltd, requested registration of Bobi’ Wine’s car using help tool Ref 210126637. Thereafter, they deposited it at the customs warehouse under cargo on 11th Jan 2021.

A quick check with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) showed that Real-Time Global Cargo Handlers Uganda Ltd was duly registered as a Company limited shares vide Reg. NO, 80020000921558.

Our inner findings indicate that after ‘close talks”, the car was duly registered after a clearing tax of Ushs88,612,027 taxes was paid and the car was returned to Fauza Khalid registered with a number plate UBJ 667F.

Fauza was fast, he immediately applied to change it’s ownership to Robert Kyagulanyi.

URA Calls for return of vehicle

After Bobi Winer posted on his social media pages as his supporters had purchased him an armoured car, URA was dumbfounded and swung into action.

“Under Section 236 (d) of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, as amended, you are required to voluntarily bring the above-mentioned motor vehicle to the URA Nakawa Inland Port to Undergo a re-verification process not later than 3.00 pm without fail,” says the letter

On 24th February 2021, URA wrote to Robert Kyagulanyi asking him to return his Black Toyota Land Cruiser to the commission for re-examination.

Kyagulanyi refused to hand over the car, but instead through his Lawyers, Wameli & Company advocates told URA to withdraw its orders.

Apparently, URA indicates that the car was erroneously cleared since it wasn’t mentioned that it is an armoured car.

URA Commissioner Customs Abel Kagumire said the details of the car were misrepresented and consequently, the car was under-valued.

“An enquiry has been conducted into the circumstances under which motor vehicle Toyota Land Cruiser Registration Number UBJ 667F was declared to customs vide reference UGCWH C54 dated 12th January 2021 was cleared and subsequently registered,” says a letter signed by URA Commissioner for Customs, Mr Abel Kagumire.

URA says that their findings reveal that among other things, the fact that it was an armored car was not declared during the assessment.

“The above-mentioned motor vehicle was declared to customs as an ordinary motor vehicle, instead of an armoured motor vehicle, the implication of which is that the vehicle was under-valued at 157,925,502/=,” wrote Kagumire.