Special military permission: URA insists Bobi Wine bulletproof car must be cleared by UPDF

Tax collector Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has insisted that politician Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s bulletproof car must have been cleared by Uganda’s army UPDF.

Since he unveiled his ‘armored’ car to the public, Bobi Wine has been a subject of public and authorities’ debate.

URA claimed friends of Bobi Wine who had delivered the car had undervalued it.

The tax body then ordered Bobi Wine to deliver the car for re-inspection or else URA enforcement teams impound it.

But the singer-turned-politician protested, running to court for orders restraining URA from impounding his vehicle.

“If the plaintiff hands over his motor vehicle to the defendant, he will be left without means of transport and without the protection he sought in this particular motor vehicle, especially that the defendant is not even specific how long the motor vehicle will stay in the possession of the defendant,” Bobi Wine argued in his suit.

But URA punched holes in this argument.

“The examination of a vehicle could be just a matter of hours if the applicant cooperated and all documents are in order. The fears of the vehicle’s detention for a longer period is baseless.”

Bobi Wine also claimed URA was targeting him because of politics.

The politician lost the January 14 presidential election.

URA says that “the sweeping allegations of the applicant that he has been a target of different government agencies are denied and false” because “URA has never targeted the applicant for any reason before, at and after the presidential elections for any sinister reason or at all.”

URA’s customs department manager Geoffrey Balamaga has also made it clear to Bobi Wine that he should have sought permission from the army before importing his armored vehicle.

“Armored vehicles are restricted items under the Customs law and the law regulating the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and requires special permission to import or own and thus it would only be proper if the applicant [Bobi Wine] cooperates with the respondent to clarify on and clear the matter as the law requires.”