By Frank Kamuntu
According to Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Jackson Wabyona Rubanjwa’s appeal has been dismissed by the Anti-Corruption Court, Kololo, something that will see him sleeping 8years in jail.
Wabyona is an accountant aged 40 years and a resident of Lumuli Zone Goma Division in Mukono District. He was arrested in December 2022 for involving in tax fraud schemes.
Wabyona was arrested by URA’s intelligence team in 2022 and taken to the Anti-Corruption Court on five (05) counts that include making false statements to a tax officer contrary to Section 58(1) (a) of the Tax Procedures Code Act, 2014 and use of a false Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
According to Prosecution, during the period January 2018 and June 2021, while filing monthly VAT returns for Sun Mutual Capital Limited, Rubanjwa cleared supplies amounting to UGX. 25,304,417,083 which were fictitiously made to sixty-four (64) persons. This caused a tax loss of UGX. 4,543,325,065 to the Government of Uganda.
Prosecution further alleges that while filing VAT returns for the same client (Sun Mutual Capital Limited) between July 2021 – April 2022; Rubanjwa made fictitious supplies of UGX.24,923,197,428 to 86 persons causing a tax loss of UGX.4,486,175,542.
It is further revealed that between October 2019 and March 2022, while filing monthly VAT returns for Jireh Hardware and Construction (2014) Ltd, Rubanjwa purportedly made false purchases worth UGX. 3,635,734,147 from Sun Mutual Capital Limited which caused tax loss of UGX. 654,432,146 to government of Uganda.
On another count between January 2018 to April 2022; Rubanjwa knowingly and falsely used the TIN of Sun Mutual Capital Limited to generate and issue false supply invoices amounting to UGX. 50,227,614,511 thereby causing a tax loss of UGX. 9,029,500,609 to the Government of Uganda.
On 20th December 2022, Wabyona was arraigned before the anti-corruption Court and charged with 4 counts of making false statements to a tax officer contrary to section 58(1)(a) of the Tax Procedures Code Act 2014 and one count of use of a false tin to a tax officer contrary to section 57 of The Tax Procedures Code Act 2014.
He pleaded guilty to all the charges and was accordingly convicted on his own plea of guilt.
The prosecution (URA) represented by Bakanansa Hilda and Allan Nkoyooyo prayed to court for a deterrent sentence preferably custodial, noting the aggravating circumstances submitted and loss occasioned to the government in order to send out a message to the public that such activities/dealings are unacceptable.
Court sentenced the accused to 2 years,8 years,12 months, 4 years, and 5 years for counts 1,2,3,4, & 5 respectively noting that the years shall be non-cumulative.
No fines were awarded and the court made no pronunciation as regards compensation to the government.
Have An Advert Or Article You Want Us To Publish? Whatsapp: +256760530830.
