2014-08-26 TAX AUTHORITY CONFISCATES ARMOURED CARS INTENDED FOR UN The Mozambican Tax Authority (AT) has carried out the threat first made in March to confiscate armoured cars illegally assembled in Maputo, even though their final destination was to be United Nations peacekeeping missions. The AT warned at the time that the assembly and attempted export of the armoured cars involved assorted tax and customs irregularities committed by the company OTT-Technologies Mocambique, which is a branch of the US company DynCorp International. Mozambican prosecutors and the Maputo customs court investigated the case, and have concluded that OTT owes the Mozambican state in customs duties and other taxes 46.23 million meticais (about 1.52 million US dollars). A press release from the AT published on Monday states that in addition all 16 armoured vehicles revert in favour of the Mozambican state. In other words, they have been confiscated, despite being decked in UN livery. Back in March, the UN office in Maputo had confirmed that the OTT factory in the adjoining city of Matola had assembled them, and they were being shipped to join the UN peace keeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA). But AT chairperson Rosario Fernandes said that the factory was not yet authorised to assemble armoured vehicles. All the formalities had not yet been completed. “It will be a factory when all the requirements have been satisfied”, said Fernandes in March. “This follows a procedure that must obey legal requirements”. The operation was funded by the United States as part of its contribution to the struggle to stop Mali falling back into the hands of Islamic fundamentalists. The US government had agreed to buy armoured cars, and other crucial equipment from seven African countries, including Mozambique, at a cost of 173 million US dollars, for use by MINUSMA. The regularization of the factorys operations in Matola is entirely the responsibility of DynCorp, and does not involve the US government.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 07:07:23 +0000
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