Faith Nyasuguta
Ugandan authorities have detained Stephen Tarus, Kenya’s former Assistant Minister for Internal Security, over allegations of smuggling 13 kilograms of gold into the country using counterfeit documents.
The arrest took place last week, leading to his appearance before a Ugandan anti-corruption court on Wednesday. Tarus, 57, is remanded at Luzira prison until January 18, pending investigations into his involvement in a gold smuggling ring connected to Kampala and the falsification of export documents.
The value of the seized 13 kilograms of gold is estimated at $845,821, as per calculateme.com. Mr. Tarus is expected to face charges related to gold smuggling, fraud, and forgery of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) documents. These include a receipt claiming a $30,000 payment in Kampala for the transportation of the gold.
Tarus, a former assistant minister during the late President Mwai Kibaki’s administration, also served as Kenya’s high commissioner to Australia from 2009 to 2012. Additionally, he was a Member of Parliament for the Emgwen constituency between 2003 and 2007.
Uganda has been identified as a regional hub for illicit gold, often smuggled from neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and, to a lesser extent, Kenya.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reports that Uganda becomes a transit point where smuggled gold is falsely labeled as of Ugandan origin using fraudulent documentation that is challenging for authorities to disprove.
The attractiveness of Uganda as a market for illicit gold is attributed to its geographic location, allowing for easy movement and trade, especially given the insecurity in the DRC and South Sudan.
From Uganda, the illicit gold eventually reaches international markets, with a 2017 report by the United Nations Group of Experts highlighting the country’s significant role as a transit route for such gold, particularly to the United Arab Emirates.
This is just part of the broader challenges in curbing the illegal trade in precious minerals and the need for regional cooperation to address the complexities of transnational smuggling networks.
RELATED:
