A man has been fined for misusing an ambulance to smuggle untaxed goods valued at Shs11.4 million, highlighting growing concerns over abuse of emergency vehicles for illicit trade.
Ali Nsubuga Kato, a 30-year-old resident of Nasuti village in Mukono District, admitted to possessing uncustomed goods in violation of the East African Customs Management Act, 2004. The confession was made before Principal Grade One Magistrate Paul Mujuni at the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero on July 3, 2025, after initially pleading not guilty in March.
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Prosecution, led by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) legal officer Allan Nkoyoyo, revealed that Kato was intercepted on March 30 at the Nile Bridge in Jinja while transporting seven bales of Nigerian-made faced cotton wax fabric in an ambulance—goods with a dutiable value of Shs11.4 million that had not passed through customs.
Magistrate Mujuni, noting that Kato was a first-time offender and a family man, handed him a fine of Shs5.4 million or one year in jail. He criticised the misuse of an ambulance for commercial smuggling, calling it a serious breach of public trust.
While the prosecution pushed for a harsh sentence to deter similar offenses and protect tax compliance, Kato pleaded for leniency, citing his family responsibilities.
The case underscores the wider issue of smuggling in Uganda and the creative methods some individuals use to evade customs, putting both revenue collection and fair trade at risk.
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