DPP drops case against former Uganda Red Cross Society boss Nataka

By George Mangula

The former Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), Michael R. Nataka is now a free man. This follows the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s decision to withdraw proceedings against him.

The DPP Mike Chibita, on Wednesday has wrote to the Chief Magistrate of the Anti-Corruption Court, saying that he has decided to drop proceedings against Nataka who was charged with two counts of abuse of office.

“This is to inform Court that the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to discontinue proceedings against Nataka Michael Richard,” Mike J. Chibita says in a letter dated November 14, 2018. Nataka has been out on bail since May 2015.

In 2015, Nataka was charged before the Anti-Corruption Court in after being accused of abuse of office when in 2013 he transported a vehicle belonging to an individual in the same container carrying a Red Cross consignment.

According to prosecution, the move by Nataka was calculated to benefit him from the favorable freight and taxation considerations that Uganda Red Cross enjoys as he went ahead and applied for tax exemption from Uganda Revenue Authority, contrary to the Red Cross Society principles.

In November of 2015, The Uganda Red Cross Society has sued its former secretary general, Richard Michael Nataka for having allegedly stolen Shs 60m from its bank account during his reign.
In a suit filed before the High Court in Kampala on November 4, Red Cross said Nataka withdrew the money as his ‘rental costs’ which he was not entitled to.

Through its lawyers New Mark Associates, Red Cross claims that Nataka’s package was only Shs 6.8m monthly salary and a motor vehicle.

Charge sheet

For the first count, prosecution alleges that in 2013 between February and June, at the URCS headquarters in the city suburb of Rubaga, Nataka did an arbitrary act prejudicial to his employer.

“He allowed the importation of a motor vehicle Toyota Tundra belonging to an individual, in the same container transporting consignment belonging to URCS thereby trying to  benefit from the favourable freight considerations that URCS  enjoys, contrary to URCS principles,” the charge sheet states.

For count number two, it is alleged that in 2013 between May and June at the URCS headquarters, Nataka sought exemption of taxes from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for the vehicle.

Nataka purportedly declared on the customs bill of entry that the vehicle was part of a list of vehicles for which URCS sought tax exemption, yet he knew that the vehicle did not belong to URCS.

In October 2013, Nataka was grilled by Police over allegations that suspected smuggled goods were imported into the country disguised as those of the humanitarian agency.

Police investigated reports that Nataka imported goods valued at between sh500m and sh800m using the URCS’ name. The goods were found at his home in the city suburb of Munyonyo.

Nataka has since denied any wrongdoing, stating that the goods belonged to Red Cross and only ended up at his residence due to exceptional circumstances.