Ugandan authorities have detained Stephen Tarus, a former Assistant Minister for Internal Security from Kenya, following his arrest last week. He faces serious allegations of smuggling gold into Uganda using counterfeit export documents.
On Wednesday, Tarus was brought before Uganda’s anti-corruption court where he was charged with the forgery of trade documents, according to a statement from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). The URA confirmed that the forged documentation caused significant financial damage to the Ugandan government.
The charges involve the falsification of export papers for 13 kilograms of gold, valued at $30,000 (£24,000). The URA believes the gold was being smuggled to Dubai as part of an illicit operation.
Pending further investigation, Tarus, 57, has been remanded to Luzira prison, with his next court appearance scheduled for January 18. He has not yet made a public statement regarding the allegations.
Tarus, who previously served as Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Internal Security under President Mwai Kibaki, also held the position of Member of Parliament between 2003 and 2007. From 2009 to 2012, he was Kenya’s high commissioner to Australia.
This case has garnered significant attention, given Tarus’ prominent political background and the severity of the charges he faces in connection with the alleged smuggling operation.
