National Unity Platform -NUP strongman Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi wine will have to surrender his pompous ride to the Uganda Revenue Authority-URA.
This comes after the High Court Civil Division threw out an application filed by Bobi wine restraining URA from recalling his V8 Land Cruiser for a reassessment.
On March 1st 2021, Bobi through his lawyers Wameli and Company Advocates petitioned the High Court seeking a temporary injunction restraining URA and its agents from taking his Land Cruiser V8 Registration number UBJ 667F
Bobi’s lawyers had argued that Kyagulanyi was to suffer irreparable damages yet he bought the vehicle for his security and transport.
He was challenging a decision by URA dated February 24th 2021 asked the court to issue a temporary injunction restraining URA from going ahead with recalling his vehicle.
However, on Tuesday the Deputy Head of High Court Civil Division Judge Emmanuel Baguma said Bobi failed to produce evidence indicating that re-verification will cause him an irreparable injury which cannot be compensated by an award of damages.
In his ruling delivered to parties via email, Justice Baguma noted that a temporary injunction can only be given when an applicant proves that he or she will suffer an irreparable injury that would not adequately be compensated by an award of damages.
According to Justice Baguma, Kyagulanyi’s main aim for seeking an injunction was that the vehicle which URA wanted to re-examine was his only means of transport and his security. But he was not satisfied with such submissions.
“It is, therefore, my considered view that the applicant has not adduced evidence to show that the recalling of the said motor vehicle for re-verification/re-examination will cause him an irreparable injury which cannot be compensated by an award of damages.
Baguma ruled that each party will bear its costs.
The decision to recall Kyagulanyi’s vehicle was contained in a letter issued by the URA Commissioner for Customs Abel Kagumire.
Kagumire wrote to Kyagulanyi requiring him to surrender his vehicle registration number UBJ-667F for examination by February 26 2021.
According to the tax body, by the time the car was cleared, it was never brought to their attention that it was armoured and therefore it passed through the system as an ordinary car having been under-valued at 157 Million Shillings.
