By Ivan Mwine
Controversial city lawyer Male Mabirizi has dragged the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to the East African Court, challenging the appointment of John Rujoki Musinguzi as the authority’s Commissioner General.
According to Mabirizi, Musinguzi is not qualified enough to hold that position and to prove his case, wrote a letter dated 08th September, 2021, to URA requesting for credentials, minutes, correspondences and all communication relating to the appointment of Musinguzi to that position and the firing of the former URA boss Doris Akol.
However, the Management of URA has since declined his request in a letter dated 4th October, 2021, in which they say that documents relating to Musinguzi’s appointment are highly confidential and hence can’t be availed to him, not even for court purposes.
The letter written by Mrs Patience T. Rubagumya, the URA Commissioner Legal Services and Board Affairs, reads in part thus;
“REQUEST FOR CERTIFIED COPIES OF PROCEEDINGS, DOCUMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCES RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT AND TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSIONER GENERAL OF UGANDA REVENUE AUTHORITY
Reference is made to the above subject matter and to your letter dated 8th September, 2021, in respect of which we address you as hereunder;
Uganda Revenue Authority takes cognizance of your request for all certified copies of proceedings, documents and correspondences relating to the appointment of Mr. John Rujoki Musinguzi and termination of Ms. Doris Akol as Commissioner General, for use in the East African Court of Justice Reference No. 08 of 2020.
We are however constrained to honour your request on grounds that the documents requested are confidential Board documents, whose contents we cannot divulge.
Accordingly, URA is unable to honour your request for certified copies of proceedings and correspondences as requested on account of the overriding duty of confidentiality regarding URA Board documents and/or proceedings. “
