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Former Kenyan minister held in Uganda prison over gold smuggling claims

Stephen Tarus

Stephen Tarus is expected to answer charges of gold smuggling, fraud and forgery of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) documents, including a receipt claiming to have paid $30,000 in Kampala for the movement of the gold. FILE PHOTO | NMG

By  The East African

newspaper publisher

What you need to know:

  • According to press reports, Mr Tarus was arrested last week and arraigned before a Ugandan anti-corruption court on Wednesday this week.

Ugandan authorities are holding Kenya's former Assistant Minister for Internal Security Stephen Tarus on allegations of smuggling 13 kilos of gold into the country using forged documents.

Thirten kilos of gold are worth $845,821 according to calculateme.com

According to press reports, Mr Tarus was arrested last week and arraigned before a Ugandan anti-corruption court on Wednesday this week.

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He was remanded at Luzira prison until January 18, pending investigations into his involvement in a gold smuggling ring with links to Kampala and the falsification of its export documents.

He is expected to answer charges of gold smuggling, fraud and forgery of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) documents, including a receipt claiming to have paid $30,000 in Kampala for the movement of the gold.

The 57-year-old served as an assistant minister under the late President Mwai Kibaki and as Kenya's high commissioner to Australia between 2009 and 2012. He was also a Member of Parliament for Emgwen constituency between 2003 and 2007.

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