The Director of Criminal Investigations (CID), Ms Grace Akullo, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Mike Chibita, have refused to release eight containers of polymer polypol chemical worth $200,000 (Shs736m) to con men, who duped a Chinese firm and imported the goods into the country.

On July 23, JD Heiskell Holding Ltd dragged the Government of Uganda to Mukono Chief Magistrate’s court and obtained a Court order directing the DPP, URA, Livercot Impex Ltd to release the four containers for which taxes had been paid to JD Heiskell Holding Ltd.

“The four containers for which taxes and duties are not yet paid to Uganda Revenue Authority should only be paid to the applicant after payment of requisite duties and taxes,” the order signed by, Hatanga H Juliet, reads in part.

Ms Akullo and Mr Chibita have both written to Livercot Impex Ltd, an internal container depot in Namanve Industrial Park, to release the containers only to the person with the original bill of lading.

“You are, therefore, instructed to release the goods in question to the party with the original bills of lading as by law established,” Ms Grace Akullo wrote in her July 26 letter.

“Any other party that presents documents other than the party holding the set of three Original Bills of Lading must also have police clearance from the undersigned since these are police exhibits,” Ms Akullo added.

Mr Chibita also wrote: “This is to inform you that the position in our communication of July 5 regarding release of the goods to JD Heiskell Holdings Ltd is hereby rescinded.

“The goods should not be released to any other party other thank the party with the original bills of Lading as by law established,” Mr Chibita wrote in his July 24 letter to the CID.

However, our sources said URA moved the eight containers from Livercot Impex Ltd in Namanve Industrial Park back to URA headquarters in Nakawa at the weekend.

The eight containers were impounded in March and have been lying at Livercot Impex Ltd following a complaint from Gulf Badr Group branch manager, Ms Eunice Karugonjo.

Ms Karugonjo registered a complaint on behalf of Kukdo Chemicals of China after the containers were fraudulently cleared from Mombasa without due payment as earlier agreed.

Its believed Individuals use the names of renowned companies to order goods from suppliers in China and disappear with the goods.