Police yesterday arrested the director of Fuelex Uganda Limited, John Imaniraguha, for reportedly smuggling fuel into Uganda.
This followed a complaint and public announcement by the tax governing body, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The elusive businessman was apprehended at Entebbe International Airport while trying to flee the country.
His arrest at the airport at midday in the company of his family members comes two days after the businessman was arrested by URA enforcement officers and jailed at Jinja Road Police Station but he disappeared from the cells under mysterious circumstances.
“Fugitive fuel smuggler John Imaniraguha, Director of Fuelex has been arrested,” URA announced Wednesday on its official Twitter handle.
According to Ms Sarah Banage, the Assistant Commissioner Public and Corporate Affairs of the tax body, told journalists shortly after the arrest of Mr Imaniraguha, that his acts of smuggling fuel and selling it at a lower market price, had distorted the fuel industry.
Ms Banage added that with the arrest of the businessman whose business she said had become a 'problem to the fuel industry was now going to have a leveled ground'.
"We have been looking for him since 2008, the case against him is very clear, it's about smuggling fuel, non compliance , it's really about us to make the playing field fair. It's the other tax players who come and complain about their friends that so and so is under -selling and that the market is being distorted." Ms Banage said.
