The troubles at Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) seem far from over following Uganda Revenue Authority(URA) decision to freeze its Bank Accounts over non tax payment.
The new development comes at a time when the embattled parastatal faces a protracted investigation over graft allegations.
The Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda ordered for investigations into financial mismanagement allegations in July.
Resultantly, the Board and top management of the institution were interdicted to facilitate a smooth probe.
It however emerged that for the last five years, the Entebbe-based entity had been defaulting on its tax obligations as unearthed by the tax body- URA.
The assessment by the taxman has revealed that UPPS owes them over five (5) billion shillings. In a bid to recover the money, URA has swiftly moved to freeze the accounts of the institution in Stanbic Bank.
Although the probe at UPPS looked like it would be wound up quickly at the start, detectives at the police’s Investigations Department hit after a key suspect- Dr. Ibembe repetitively snubbed summons to appear for statement recording.
He claimed to be battling COVID19 complications at Agakhan Hospital in Nairobi,Kenya. His pictures however appeared online while attending a party in England last month.
URA’s action against the embattled organisation will serve to pile more misery on the new management after earlier reports revealing that at least Ugx3bn had been swindled by the interficted officials. The Ugx5bn claimed by URA brings the total money embezzled to over Ugx8bn.
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