Bugiri: Soldier arrested for extorting money from traders

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) in collaboration with the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), have apprehended an army deserter at the rank of sergeant for allegedly extorting money from taxpayers.

David Okurut (RA/209499) who deserted the army in 2010 was arrested on February 2 2022 in Bugiri while impersonating as URA officer and extorting money from unsuspecting victims.

On the fateful day, he had stopped a trader from whom he was going to extort money.

Upon being asked to identify himself, Okurut reportedly said, he was URA staff but the trader did not believe him, and an alarm followed alerting the community to gather around him.

Thereafter, the area police and URA staff were informed and Okurut was immediately apprehended.

Upon his arrest, UPDF later discovered that Okurut has been on their wanted list for desertion; and yet for larger parts of his extortion missions he was wearing full UPDF uniform.

The URA assailant commissioner for Enforcement, Julius Nkwasire attributed the arrest to the good relation between tax body and the public which he said has helped the authority to weed out unscrupulous people who use different tricks to extort money from taxpayers.

He explained that URA recently launched an enforcement strategy that adopts 3Es of Engage, Educate and Enforce, which largely informs their collaborative efforts in dealing with traders during enforcement.

"The strategy further defines the business communities' obligations to pay tax that help develop the country. Okurut went against all these principles, in addition to being on the run from the army. We thank the public for being vigilant by bringing this case to our attention quickly before further damage was done to soil the collective efforts of revenue mobilisation," he said.

Maj. Wilson Kajura from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), told the Nile Post that since Okurut was masquerading as a soldier, it was incumbent upon them to take serious action and if found guilty he will be prosecuted in the courts of law.

"We shall carry on with more investigations but at the moment we shall charge him with desertion and impersonation. He is a subject to military law," he said.

Desertion is when a soldier leaves his or her unit or formation without informing authority and goes away with the intention of not returning to the unit.

According to the officials,If a soldier spends 21 days having absented himself or herself from duty without the knowledge of authority he or she is deemed a deserter unless the contrary has been proved.