UGANDAN Winfred Businge (33) appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam yesterday, charged with failure to declare to customs authority one million US dollars (about 2.2bn/-) found in her possession while entering the country.
She denied the charge before Principal
Resident Magistrate Huruma Shaidi. The magistrate granted bail to the
accused person, a resident of Kisasi in Kampala, on condition of
securing one reliable surety. He also ordered the seized money to act as
bond, which would be confiscated if she jumped bail.
The Magistrate adjourned the matter to
January 18, for mention. The prosecution, led by Senior State Attorneys
Awamu Mbangwa and Estazia Wilson, informed the court that investigations
into the case have been completed.
Before granting bail, the prosecution
requested the court to issue conditions restricting movement of the
accused person, who is a foreigner and working with SGA Company, a
security firm in Uganda.
However, advocate Emmanuel Safari,
assisted by counsel Hudson Ndusyepo, objected to the prosecution’s
request on grounds that his client will be bailed out by reliable
sureties, who will ensure the accused person attends her trial on
whatever date the court would fix.
The advocate insisted that the amount of
money, the subject of the trial, that have been considered as cash bail
bond pending the trial, was so colossal and will no doubt compel the
accused person to attend her trial without any failure.
In the trial, Businge, who is an
Invoicing Clerk, is charged with the offence of failure to disclose
currency to the customs authority, which is contrary to Regulation 5(1)
and (5) of the Anti-Money Laundering(Cross- Border Declaration of
Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments) Regulations 2016.
Such provision is read together with
section 28B (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act No. 12 of 2006, as
amended by the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) ACT No. 1 of 2012. It
is alleged by the prosecution that Businge committed the offence on
December 11, this year, at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA)
within the city of Dar es Salaam.
She allegedly entered the United
Republic of Tanzania while in possession of one million US dollars,
without declaring to the customs authority. The arraignment of the
Ugandan comes a few days after President John Magufuli ordered the Bank
of Tanzania (BoT) to tighten control on the movement of hard currency in
the country.
“I also want restrictions on the use of
US dollars. As I speak, one million US dollar cash was confiscated at
the airport in Dar es Salaam and there is no explanation on the movement
of this money into the country. We have to be careful,” the Head of
State is quoted as saying.
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